When the emotionally chocked nation was crying and paying heartfelt condolence to the chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat during his funeral, the general secretary of the Congress Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was dancing and enjoying tribal dance in Goa.
There is nothing unusual in the video of her celebration when the nation is mourning since the Gandhi-Nehru family she belongs has often shown disrespect towards martyrs.
Vadra is in Goa to kick off the campaign for the assembly election in Goa scheduled next year.
Smt. @priyankagandhi joins the tribal women of Morpirla village during a phenomenal performance of their folk dance.#PriyankaGandhiWithGoa pic.twitter.com/p0ae6mKM9x
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 10, 2021
The Congress organised several events like her interaction with youths and performance of tribal dance by tribal women at Morpirla village.
Smt. @priyankagandhi ji joins Goa traditional dance at “Maand” Morpirla Village.#PriyankaGandhiWithGoa pic.twitter.com/dgALW72Wba
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) December 10, 2021
UPA showed disrespect to Sam Manekshaw
And this is how her mother and UPA chairperson Sonia had treated the military legend and the first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw at his funeral held at Wellington in Ooty.
When Manekshaw, the architect of the victory of India in the 1971 war, took his last breath at Military Hospital Wellington in June 2008, political leaders stayed away from his funeral.
Right from President Pratibha Patil (also commander-in-chief of the armed forces), Vice-president Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, none had time to pay the last homage to him.
These politicians may have their reasons for showing disrespect towards men in uniform for their petty political ends, but the ‘civil India’ has always shown the armed forces its place. The chant of Veer Vanakkam and constant showering of flowers on the convoy carrying mortals of Rawat and others at Mettupalayam in Tamil Nadu is evidence of how people respect armed forces.
Defence minister AK Antony and three Service chiefs, none had time to attend the state funeral of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. Antony had prior political engagements which were more important than attending a state funeral. He sent his junior, minister of state for defence Pallam Raju.
Army chief General Deepak Kapoor had valid reasons since he was on tour to Russia. He was represented by vice-chief Lt-Gen M. L Naidu.
The then Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal FH Major were very much available in New Delhi. But they sent a rear admiral and an air marshal at the state funeral.
Congress brazenly defended insult to Sam Manekshaw
It was said that Antony visiting a ‘small town’ would have led to ‘protocol requirements. They gave a lame excuse that they had too little time to make arrangements to travel to Wellington since the WVIP jet was deployed in the service of the President in Maharashtra, and the other was kept on stand-by for the PM.
These geniuses of the Congress and the defence were aware that Sam Maneksha had passed at Wellington in Ooty and not Wellington in New Zealand. The nearest civil airport is Coimbatore, just 80 km away and it was not difficult to reach here.
Celebrate when the nation mourns
In fact, Gandhis have been caught celebrating at the wrong time more than once. 13 years back when Mumbai had witnessed the deadliest attacks orchestrated by the Islamist terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Rahul Gandhi was reportedly celebrating at a party. A total of 10 Pakistani terrorists carried out 12 shooting and bombing incidents in India’s Financial Capital. The 26/11 attacks claimed the lives of 165 civilians and injured over 300 people.
While the entire nation mourned the dead, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi remained in a party mood. The Congress scion went to the wedding ‘sangeet’ of his childhood friend Samir Sharma at his farmhouse in Rahdhey Mohan Chowk on the outskirts of the National Capital. Samir was the son of Captain Satish Sharma, who happened to be the flying partner of Rajiv Gandhi and a former MP from Rae Bareli.
