Minister’s comment on Sainnya Dham exposes BJP’s attitude towards martyrs: Godiyal

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun

Taking a strong exception on the statement of Cabinet minister Ganesh Joshi given over long delay in the inauguration of Sainnya Dham in Dehradun, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ganesh Godiyal has said that it exposes of the BJP government’s attitude toward martyrs and their families.

Godiyal said that Joshi’s statement, “We are a political party and will take electoral advantage of this ( Sainnya Dham),  we are not saints and sages,’’ is unfortunate and tends to weigh the sacrifice of martyrs on the scale of electoral gains.

“Delaying the construction of a memorial dedicated to martyrs for five years and then talking about political gain as elections approach is an insult to the families who lost their sons, husbands, fathers and brothers for the country,’’ the PCC president said. 

Godiyal said that Joshi should understand the difference between martyrdom and power politics. He said that the Sainnya Dham is not the property of any political party and it symbolizes Uttarakhand’s military tradition, the martyrdom of brave soldiers and the sentiments of their families. 

He said that Uttarakhand is not only the land of gods but also the land of heroes and has a rich martial tradition. There is hardly a family here that does not have some kind of military connection. In such a State, linking martyrdom to electoral gains is a direct insult to Uttarakhand’s military tradition and the sentiments of military families, Godiyal added. 

The PCC president said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party should clarify whether the Sainnya Dham is a place to pay tribute to the martyrs or a platform for the BJP’s election campaign.