Launching a broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose government is completing its first year in office next week, senior Congress leader C P Joshi today said Modi has been busy only in "polishing" his international image instead of securing borders.
Amplifying his attack on the BJP-led NDA dispensation, Joshi said the country has lost its strategic vision in the area of defence due to Centre's "unsuccessful policies" and its "diplomatic predicament".
"Modi government is playing with the national welfare and national security. This government neither has policy nor priorities to strengthen the county," Joshi said in a press conference on the eve of the NDA government completing its first year in office on May 26.
Joshi said Modi has put in all his efforts in last one year only for "polishing his international image" instead of securing borders and strengthening internal security.
"The Centre's unsuccessful policies, programmes and strategic predicament are the evidence of the fact that India has lost its strategic vision in the area of defence," the former Union minister said.
Joshi said Modi government's "lack of concern" towards the country's security is evident from a number of issues.
"...Reducing defence expenditure, frequent ceasefire violations, rising tension on border, Pakistan and China infiltration into Indian territory, no decision over one-rank one-pension scheme; all these issues show Modi government's unconcern towards the country's security," he alleged.
Recalling the initiatives undertaken by the erstwhile UPA government for securing the country's borders with China, Joshi said the Congress-led regime had made a provision of whopping Rs 85,478 crore for various strategic projects including constituting the mountain strike corps, "but surprisingly the new Modi government has deducted expenditure under these projects to its half."
"Shockingly three weeks ahead of Modi's visit to China, the defence ministry had sliced the budget for mountain strike corps...We should not forget that China had registered objection during the formation of corps but we clarified to them, it is important from our security point of view," Joshi said.
