People who know nothing of the defence forces are made to sit on these committees, he said (File)
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said Rahul Gandhi's walkout from a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence was "totally justified" and stressed that the panel should have discussed strategic security issues.
Mr Gandhi on Wednesday had walked out from a meeting of the panel, alleging that time was being wasted in discussing armed forces' uniform instead of the crucial issue of national security.
The Punjab CM urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to look into the working of the committee, which he dubbed as "absurd" with the members discussing "the type of polish to be used on buttons and shoes of the uniform instead of strategizing on ways to counter the joint China-Pakistan" threat.
"With both China and Pakistan breathing down India, the committee should have been discussing strategic security issues and the urgent requirements of our forces and not the polish they need to shine their shoes and buttons," Amarinder Singh said in a statement.
"People who know nothing of the defence forces are made to sit on these committees now and we expect them to protect the nation," he quipped. He expressed shock that political affiliations were guiding the functioning of the panel.
"Politicians with no knowledge of our history and armed forces are sitting in the committee," he said.
The chairman should understand that what is done or discussed in these committee meetings is in the larger interest of the nation and he should not behave in such a "petty manner", the CM said.
Rahul Gandhi was right to walk out of the meeting which, rather than talking about what the forces need to combat the threat of China and Pakistan was discussing "trivial" issues, said Amarinder Singh.