The soldier has been shifted from the Line of Control to the headquarters of his 29 battalion in Poonch.
Highlights
- BSF jawan's video talking of near starvation diet served goes viral
- After posting videos, soldier shifted to Poonch from Line of Control
- BSF and the home ministry have both ordered inquiries into allegations
"This is breakfast - one burnt parantha and a glass of tea...no butter, no jam, no pickle..." says a soldier in Facebook videos that have gone viral. "Can a jawan do his duty with this kind of food? Share this video as much as possible and take our message to the government. Jai Hind!" Border Security Force (BSF) soldier Tej Bahadur Yadav says looking straight into the camera.
The message has been received. Yesterday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh ordered an inquiry into the soldier's three videos alleging poor food and near starvation in the bitterly cold frontlines of Jammu and Kashmir.
After the videos, the soldier has been shifted from the Line of Control to the headquarters of his 29 battalion in Poonch.
In one of the videos, Tej Bahadur Yadav films dinner being cooked in semi-darkness. "Dal with only haldi (turmeric) and salt. No onion, no garlic, no seasoning...not even cumin," the soldier complains. He also berates his comrades for cooking without any light.
In another, the 40-year-old, in his fatigues and carrying a rifle, says: "This is the quality of the food we get... we are on duty for 11 hours in the snow and at times we have to stand throughout... how can a jawan do his duty? " Often, he claims, jawans go to bed on an empty stomach.
"The government's store is full but everything is sold. I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an investigation," says the soldier, also alleging that "anything can happen to me after I put out this video."
Since yesterday, the BSF and the home ministry have both ordered inquiries.
Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home, also said "any anomaly will be dealt with firmly".
The BSF says the soldier was court-martialed four years ago for assaulting a superior but not dismissed from service "on compassionate grounds". Sources said, "he has managed to avoid hard duties."