Congress' Ahmed Patel: BJP walking down dangerous path by using military to conceal failures

The BJP is walking down a dangerous path by "using the military" to conceal its own "failures", senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said Sunday, asserting that the EC's circular preventing the use of armed forces in election campaign was much needed.

The Election Commission (EC) Saturday asked political parties to "desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel" against the backdrop of a picture showing a hoarding with images of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as well as leaders of the BJP.

"The EC's circular on preventing the use of of armed forces in election campaign was much needed. This needs to be implemented in letter & spirit. Let's keep security forces out of politics," Patel tweeted.

"By using the military to conceal its own failures the BJP is walking down a dangerous path," he said.

In a fresh instruction issued to all political parties, the EC referred to its December 2013 letter in which it had "called upon all political parties to advise their candidates and leaders to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel or photographs of functions involving defence personnel in advertisements".

-PTI