Martyr Rambabu Singh's mortal remains arrive in Patna; Tejashwi slams Nitish's absence

Patna, May 14 (IANS) The mortal remains of martyr Rambabu Singh, who laid down his life in service to the nation, arrived at Patna Airport on Wednesday, drawing solemn tributes from several political leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.

Tejashwi Yadav, present at the airport to pay homage, used the occasion to criticise the absence of top state leadership, stating that neither Chief Minister Nitish Kumar nor the two Deputy Chief Ministers were present during the arrival of martyr Rambabu Singh today or martyr Mohammad Imtiaz on Tuesday.

“In such a sensitive moment, the seriousness expected from the state government was simply missing. Even yesterday, the Chief Minister tweeted that the martyrs were from the BSF, but they were Army personnel. These kinds of inaccuracies are unacceptable from a state’s top leadership. I don’t know who is handling his social media handle, but it should not be expected to happen at the Chief Minister level,” said Yadav.

Tejashwi Yadav urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to officially recognise paramilitary jawans as martyrs, arguing that those who lay down their lives fighting terrorists or Naxals deserve the same honour as Army soldiers.

“I will be writing a letter to Amit Shah today. It’s unjust that brave personnel from paramilitary forces, who are sacrificing their lives on the border or in internal conflicts, are not granted martyr status,” he said.

While extending support to the Indian Army and Central government in dealing with terrorism, Tejashwi Yadav strongly opposed any third-party intervention in ceasefire agreements, particularly targeting the involvement of the US in pushing for a ceasefire.

“We have full faith in our Army. This is the same Indian Army that once split Pakistan in two. If given a chance, it can wipe Pakistan off the global map. We don’t accept any third-country mediation, like the US. Our Army is capable of giving a befitting reply,” Yadav asserted.

--IANS

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