[caption id="attachment_235647" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
A view of the newly inaugurated National War Memorial at India Gate complex in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI)[/caption]
New Delhi, Feb. 25 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the previous Congress governments of playing with national interest by following the concept of"family first" instead of "nation first."
"Few people think their family interests come before the interests of the nation," he said.
Modi also slammed the Gandhi family saying the probe into all the major defence scams leading to one family says a lot. "From Bofors to helicopters (AgustaWestland VVIP chopper), all the probe leads to the doors of one family. And it says a lot," he said.
Addressing ex-servicemen at the inauguration of the National War Museum (NWM) at the National Stadium here, Modi said, "Those who called themselves deciders of the country's fate had done injustice to the forces and also played with the national security."
"They had made the army and the national security means of earning for themselves. They wanted to forget the martyrs," Modi said.
Hitting out at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for criticising the 36 Rafale jets deal with France, Modi said, "Now these people are using all their tactics so that the modern jet does not come to India. But in the next few months, when the first Rafale soars into the sky, all their conspiracies will end."
"Today the National War Memorial (NWM) is being inaugurated. The National Police Memorial also had similar story. Two-and-a-half decades ago, the memorial file was introduced. It moved a bit during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, but after the government changed, the condition remained the same.
"Today people are asking why such injustice was done with heroes and martyrs. What were the reasons that no one focused on the martyrs. India first or 'family first,'" Modi asked. "Earlier, from schools to hospitals, highways to airports and awards, there was just the name of one family," he said.
The Prime Minister said with the inauguration of the National War Memorial, decades long wait was over. "This memorial is inscribed with the names of thousands of martyrs who will keep inspiring future generations for years to come to contribute towards the service of the nation," he said.
Paying homage to the fallen soldiers, Modi said they were the first to brave the disasters, whether they were contrived by the enemy or the nature. "Our soldiers have always taken the responsibility to face the danger, man-made or natural.
"Friends, at this historic monument, I pay my respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Pulwama for the safety of the nation," he said.
Modi also said his government was bringing in modern weaponry to strengthen the armed forces in the country. "Major defence decisions in the national interest, which were earlier ignored or halted, are now being taken without any delay."
The government has given nod to purchase of 72,000 assault rifles and 25,000 crore ammunition, Modi said.
