——S. A. Hemanth——
Bengaluru, February 16: Hundreds of Army veterans – retired personnel – have expressed their anger and anguish against Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for not turning up to inaugurate the national war memorial on Wednesday.
Speaking to The Newz Peg, Col. Rajan (Retd) said the Defence Minister had agreed to come to the venue of the war memorial by 5.30 PM but at about 3.30 PM, the programme was cancelled.
“This kind of scant respect towards war memorial and veterans is unacceptable,” Col Rajan added.
He said the veterans understand that the Defence Minister was preoccupied with the Aero India show.
“In that case, he ought not have agreed for the function. But having fixed the function and invited hundreds of veterans the Defence Minister should have somehow made it to the programme,” Col Rajan explained.
Meanwhile, the Sainik welfare board and the Military veterans organisation maintained that they are still trying to get the Defence Minister to war memorial.
“The war memorial in Bangalore is a place of pride. It is in the fitness of things that the Defence Minister visits this holy place. We will bring him here,” Captain Ganesh Karnick said.
EOM
