Accusing BJP-led NDA government of compromising on national interest and security, Congress today claimed the Centre had failed to even spend the amount allocated for defence by previous UPA regime in 2014-15.
"Modi Sarkar is indulging in an unforgivable game of compromising national interest and national security," senior Congress leader and former Union minister Charan Das Mahanta told reporters here.
"Deliberate neglect, ignorance and an obsessive fetish to project Prime Minister's image internationally mark NDA rule's approach to secure our borders," he said.
The policies and "diplomatic misadventures" suggest India has lost its strategic outlook on defence.
Besides reduced defence spending, record increase in ceasefire violations, cross-border firings and infiltrations from Pakistan and China, demoralisation among the ranks and non-implementation of "one rank-one pension" mark NDA rule's show in last one year, Mahanta said.
"Be it inconsistency in dealing with Pakistan, confusing soft signals vis-a-vis China, laggardness in defence procurement and subversion of deals on transfer of technology, policies of Modi government have been directionless and dithering," the Congress leader said.
"In a crippling blow to India's defence preparedness, Modi government has utterly failed to even spend the amount allocated for defence by previous Congress government in 2014-15. An amount of Rs 28,446 crore remained unutilised during the year," Mahanta said.
The government could spend only Rs 1,93,923.54 crore, about 87.21 per cent of the revised estimate of Rs 2,22,370 crore, thus leaving Rs 28,446.46 crore unspent, he claimed.
Claiming there were several ceasefire violations as Modi government remained a spectator, the Congress stalwart said there were 746 violations along the line of control (LoC) with Pakistan between June 2014 and February 2015, compared to 96 violations a year earlier.
Charging NDA government with compromising national interest by downsizing Mountain Strike Corps (MSC) and its budget by half, Mahanta said just three weeks ahead of Modi's visit to China, Defence Ministry reduced the strength and budget of MSC by 50 per cent.
Stating that UPA government in 2013 had announced formation of MSC, two independent infantry brigades in addition thereto and two independent armoured brigades in addition thereto, he said these nearly 90,000 strong army corps and brigades were seen as a counter measure to Chinese build up on the other side of the border.
