Kargil Vijay Diwas Was Not Celebrated Under Congress Until I Asked For It, Says Rajeev Chandrashekhar

NDA MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar has said that ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ was never celebrated in the country under the Congress regime until he asked for it in the Rajya Sabha in 2009.

July 26 is celebrated as the Kargil Vijay Diwas, the day when Indian Army recaptured the Tiger Hill from Pakistan in 1999.

Chandrasekhar tweeted images of documents, one from 21st July 2009, which urged Rajya Sabha to hear the ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ on 23rd July the same year.

The tweet also contains a reply from then Defence Minister A.K. Antony, who confirmed that the day would be celebrated from 26th July 2010 onwards. “Keeping in view the precedence and to honour the martyrs, a homage ceremony will be organised also this year at Amar Jawan Jyoti on 26th July 2010”.

The key word in the above statement is also.

Prior to 2010, Vijay Diwas celebrations were conducted largely by the defence forces and the government wasn’t seen leading the event. A Congress insider said the feeling was that the party did not want to give credit to the BJP for the victory in Kargil.

Debunking Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar's tweet, the Congress sharply reacted stating that the Congress party always celebrated Kargil Vijay Diwas. Defence Minister A K Antony had always paid tribute at India Gate, every year. Then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh paid tribute to martyrs on the Tenth anniversary of the Kargil War in 2009, which is just after Chandrashekhar asked for it.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told Outlook, "We understand the zeal of certain individuals to bend over backwards to be more loyal than the king yet they must understand that deception and lies will never hide the truth."

Critics had said the feeling was that the party did not want to give credit to the BJP for the victory in Kargil.

In his letter, Chandrasekhar had referred to the same, writing then: “I also appeal to my colleagues in this house who oppose it on grounds of this being a BJP war or something as ridiculous to stop this mockery”.