Derek O'Brien targets PM Modi, says National War Memorial event turned into political rally

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of turning the inauguration of the National War Memorial into a political rally and disrespecting the uniform.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned the inauguration of the National War Memorial into a political rally and it was nothing but disrespect to the uniform," Brien told ANI.National War Memorial, a tribute to soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for the country post-independence, was unveiled by the Prime Minister on Monday. While inaugurating the memorial, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Demand for National War Memorial has been there for many decades. Some efforts were made previously but nothing concrete happened. In 2014, we started the procedure and today it is being inaugurated before time. This monument is also the testimony of how a vow is taken and fulfilled." Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also paid tributes to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldiers who were killed in the dastardly Pulwama attack on February 14.West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, on Monday, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing 'vote politics when jawans die'.

"We condemn this incident and sympathise with the families of the deceased. You (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) were aware that such an incident would take place. You had information about this. The government had intelligence inputs," she said further.

"The Central government was aware that such an attack can take place. There were intelligence inputs. Then why didn't they take preventive measures to protect our jawans," she said while addressing the extended Core Committee meeting of the Trinamool Congress.

Questioning that why jawans were not airlifted despite the fact that "government had instructions," Chief Minister Banerjee asked: "Why weren't 'nakas' checked? Why were the roads not sanitised?""These jawans were pushed towards death. Elections are coming. Hence you want to do politics. Vote politics? You can't do 'vote politics' when jawans die," she said.

Intensifying her attack on the Central government, Banerjee said: "This government is being run by two brothers, who have blood of innocents on their hands. Both the leaders want to create war hysteria ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.