The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last six weeks, and the tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15.
After the violent attacks Modi had praised the Bihar Regiment saying,“Today when I am speaking to the people of Bihar, I will say the valour was of Bihar Regiment, every Bihari is proud of it.”
Shiv Sena has slammed the PM for his comments in an editorial in the party’s newspaper Saamana on Friday. The editorial stated that PM Modi had used the valour of the Indian Army in the clash with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley for the upcoming election. It accused Modi of being an “expert” at playing caste politics.The editorial in Saamana said, “Prime Minister Modi is an expert in such [caste] politics. He sang praises of the valour of the Bihar Regiment in Galwan Valley. Earlier, when the country faced a crisis on its borders, were the Mahar, Maratha, Rajput, Sikh, Gorkha, Dogra regiments sitting idle and mixing chewing tobacco on the borders? Yesterday, Maharashtra’s Sunil Kale (a CRPF trooper) attained martyrdom in Pulwama (during a gun battle with terrorists). Due to the upcoming Bihar elections, importance is being given to caste and region in the Indian Army. Such politics is a disease, which is graver than the Coronavirus.”