Its sad part that since indepedence we have not had a defence minister from defence background. The armed forces are not highly disciplined and has knowledge of arms and ammunition, but also highly qualified and brave. In USA most of the presidents have a stint in the armed forces
This defence minister thinks as if defence of the country is merely a matter of talking on TV panels. A defence minister is expected to know atleast how to handle, use a rifle/gun, but surely this minister knows only how to fire lies and misinformation in TV debates, but she never came clean on the Rafale scam. The entire world is certainly amused at Modi`s choice of our Defence Minister. When she says the Military is alive and ready, she must say ready for what? For war? With whom? For what? No sir, this is just for home consumption and for coming general elections.
This defence minister thinks as if defence of the country is merely a matter of talking on TV panels. A defence minister is expected to know atleast how to handle, use a rifle/gun, but surely this minister knows only how to fire lies and misinformation in TV debates, but she never came clean on the Rafale scam. The entire world is certainly amused at Modi`s choice of our Defence Minister. When she says the Military is alive and ready, she must say ready for what? For war? With whom? For what? No sir, this is just for home consumption and for coming general elections.
This defence minister thinks as if defence of the country is merely a matter of talking on TV panels. A defence minister is expected to know atleast how to handle, use a rifle/gun, but surely this minister knows only how to fire lies and misinformation in TV debates, but she never came clean on the Rafale scam. The entire world is certainly amused at Modi`s choice of our Defence Minister. When she says the Military is alive and ready, she must say ready for what? For war? With whom? For what? No sir, this is just for home consumption and for coming general elections.
And she said this *while talking to journalists* !!
Which journalists we are not told, of course !
In any case, not the same set of journalists who asked her a few months back about the actual price the Indian govt will be paying Dassault for the *renegotiated* Rafale deal !!
On that occasion, Ms Sitharaman had fielded a question from journalists about the actual price of the Rafale fighter in the new deal and had looked at the defence secretary for the answer. Finding that he too was as blank as she was, Ms Sitharaman turned to the journalists and solemnly assured them that she would *soon* get back to them with the price details.
But, in the weeks that followed, not only did she not get back to those journalists, but repeated telephone calls to her and to her ministries officials went unanswered !
And, a month further afterwards, she stood up in parliament and announced (with equal solemnity) that the actual new price of the Rafale in the deal renegotiated by the Modi govt cannot be revealed due to *strategic* reasons !!!
Some strategy, that !!
A strategy that neither the defence minister nor anyone else in the Modi govt, least of all the clown Prime Minister, was aware of till more than a full month after the journalists posed the question about the new price of the Rafale !!
And so much for her *Transparency is needed in decision making* !!
And she said this *while talking to journalists* !!
Which journalists we are not told, of course !
In any case, not the same set of journalists who asked her a few months back about the actual price the Indian govt will be paying Dassault for the *renegotiated* Rafale deal !!
On that occasion, Ms Sitharaman had fielded a question from journalists about the actual price of the Rafale fighter in the new deal and had looked at the defence secretary for the answer. Finding that he too was as blank as she was, Ms Sitharaman turned to the journalists and solemnly assured them that she would *soon* get back to them with the price details.
But, in the weeks that followed, not only did she not get back to those journalists, but repeated telephone calls to her and to her ministries officials went unanswered !
And, a month further afterwards, she stood up in parliament and announced (with equal solemnity) that the actual new price of the Rafale in the deal renegotiated by the Modi govt cannot be revealed due to *strategic* reasons !!!
Some strategy, that !!
A strategy that neither the defence minister nor anyone else in the Modi govt, least of all the clown Prime Minister, was aware of till more than a full month after the journalists posed the question about the new price of the Rafale !!
And so much for her *Transparency is needed in decision making* !!
