GUWAHATI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on September 10, raised the question of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence on different kinds of food served to jawans and officers at the border.
At the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said salary can be linked-to rank but not a diet. "Don't compromise on diet of jawans who face harsh conditions for longer hours while on duty," Rahul Gandhi said.
Making his first appearance in the defence committee meeting, Rahul Gandhi took an exception questioning inferior diet served to jawans as compared to officers.
Earlier, the BJP countered Rahul Gandhi's relentless attack on the Narendra Modi government questioning its border management policy, particularly in the context of China's repeated attempt to change the status quo in Ladakh.
The BJP had questioned the seriousness of Rahul Gandhi's criticism saying the Congress leader had not attended a single meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence.
He appealed to the defence committee to pass a resolution for diet parity between jawans and officers especially in border areas.
Responding to Rahul Gandhi's comments, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat told the defence parliamentary panel that there is no difference in quality or quantity of food served to jawans and officers.
Dismissing the assertions by Rahul Gandhi, CDS Rawat said the difference exists in the case of food habits citing an example that soldiers prefer rotis while officers opt for bread too.
