Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party, in a tactical move, has changed its Varanasi candidate Shalini Yadav and has now fielded former BSF Jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After Congress refusing to field Priyanka Gandhi against PM Modi, Samajwadi Party has turned the battle into a Jawan vs Chowkidar contest.
Speaking to media after filing his nomination on Monday, Tej Bahadur Yadav said, “The issues of Samajwadi Party are mine and now I am the candidate of the party as I have filed my nomination on a party symbol. We are fighting for farmers and soldiers of the country.”
Tej Bahadur Yadav, the BSF constable who was dismissed from the service in the year 2017 after he released a video on poor quality of food served to soldiers, is contesting as candidate of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance candidate from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat against PM Modi.
Speaking exclusively to News18 recently, Yadav had said that when the Modi government came to power in 2014, people had high hopes that he will end corruption. "Considering the assurance, I wrote to the PMO, Home Ministry, DG BSF and Human Rights several times to bring out the discrepancies and corruption in our department. But instead to taking any action, the authorities started harassing me," he said.
"I was eventually dismissed from my job. This makes it clear the the PM is hand in gloves with the corrupt. On one hand he claims that he is fighting corruption and on the other, he is finishing those who are fighting against corruption," the agitated former BSF constable added.
In 2017, the BSF had set up a court of inquiry against Yadav after he claimed in a viral video that the dalserved to them was watery and the chapatis were burnt.
An investigation was ordered into the incident by Home Ministry ordered and the PMO had also sought a report. Yadav was shifted out of LoC and was later on dismissed on charges of indiscipline.
When asked why was he contesting against PM Modi and no other BJP minister, the ex-BSF constable said, "I lost my son in January, now I have nothing to lose. I have only one option and that is to reach Parliament and raise the voice of the security personnel. That is why I have decided to contest elections against PM Narendra Modi."
Sharing his action plan for the elections, Yadav claimed to have support of at least 10,000 retired security personnel. "We don't have money to fight elections, also now I don’t have a job. Our only way to reach people is through door-to-door campaign and we will do that. We will go and tell people the reality of the claims that Modi ji makes about doing welfare of the jawans. We have backing of around ten thousand retired security personnel who have pledged their support to me along with some social organisations," he said.
When asked about his opinion on security issues making it to political speeches, he said, "Security forces should not be involved in politics, it is unfortunate that today security forces are being roped in politics. Just like the issue of chowkidar, where votes are being sought in the name of security guards. The real chowkidar of the country are security personnel who are guarding the country from enemies, but our politicians are now busy asking for vote in their name, which is unfortunate."
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