A group of armed forces veterans on Thursday described Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the central government over its handling of the Ladakh border row as "undesirable and deplorable".
The veterans said in a statement that Gandhi's earlier statements on Pakistan were "used and supported" by the Pakistan government and military, "encouraging the anti-national forces."
The former officers include Air Vice Marshal (retd)Sanjib Bordoloi, Air Commodore (retd) P C Grover and Brig (retd) Dinkar Adeeb.
"Such twisting of issues of military importance for petty political gains are highly deplorable. Undoubtedly, such statements always undermine the morale and indomitable spirit of our armed forces, who are known to be the best professional forces in the world and have been in active action throughout since Independence," they said.
They also referred to the 1962 war with China, noting that India was then led by Jawaharlal Nehru. "We were not only caught totally unprepared but had to suffer a very humiliating defeat at the hands of China despite the fact that our soldiers fought valiantly and caused huge casualties to China," they said.
The current dispute and standoffs are the consequences of that Himalayan blunder, they added. "We are seriously concerned with the recent undesirable tweets/comments of Rahul Gandhi regarding the present standoff on the border in Ladakh between Indian and Chinese forces. We wish to condemn such undesirable and deplorable comments by a person who has no idea as to how our soldiers work in the world's most difficult and unfriendly terrain," they said.
Gandhi had on Wednesday alleged that China has taken away India's territory in Ladakh and questioned the prime minister's silence on the issue, saying he has vanished.
"The Chinese have walked in and taken our territory in Ladakh. Meanwhile. The PM is absolutely silent and has vanished from the scene," he had said on Twitter.
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