Bengaluru: The death of a 59-year-old retd army officer, Col MB Ravindranath, who was awarded the Vir Chakra for playing an instrumental role in winning back the crucial Tololing Top during the 1999 Kargil war has given rise to some political bickering among state leaders.
Taking to Twitter, to express his disgust at the state governments apathy for overlooking honoring the war hero with a state funeral, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar on Tuesday said, “Dear @siddaramaiah avare – u r a shameless hypocrite! Whn a true #Kannadiga warrior who has served our nation falls, u dont even bother or care! U n @RahulGandhi 2 busy dividng ppl n politicking 2 care abt basic decency.”
He questioned the disregard given to the war veteran while comparing it to the honor accorded to journalist, activist Gauri Lankesh who was allegedly shot to death by few right wing activists.
His tweet read: Dear @siddaramaiah n @RahulGandhi – #GauriLankesh gets a state funerl so why not #ColMBRavindranath – hero of #Tololing n #Kargil war? Is ur entire politics about this kind of shameless hypocrisy n politicking bereft of any shred of decency?”
Reportedly this indifference of the state government has upset several ex-servicemen and defence forums in the state. The government did not find time to condole a war hero or send a representative to the grieiving family, Shashank Shivkumar, president of India Army Forum, a support and welfare forum for military personnel was quoted speaking to a news agency.
The Congress party, after facing criticism over the issue tried to pin the blame on the Centre asking why they “too did not send any representative” to the war hero’s funeral.
Col MB Ravindranath, the then Commanding Officer of 2 Rajputana Rifles that wrested Tololing Top from Pakistan intruders during the 1999 Kargil conflict, passed away following a cardiac arrest in Bengaluru on April 8. Though the officer had taken premature retirement from the Army, he was a regular speaker at some training and educational institutions.
