While addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam, Chief Minister Kamal Nath on May 13 has said, “He (PM Modi) talks about nation’s security, Modi ji when you didn’t learn how to wear ‘pant-pajama’ then Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi ji made army of the nation.”
While it may be argued that every PM since Independence might have contributed to the nation and the armed forces in her or his own way, is it right on the part of anyone to attribute that Nehru and Indira ‘built’ the army?
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s relationship with the army had not been much to write home about.
After India got Independence, the first commander-in-chief of the Indian armed forces Robert Lockhart presented a paper to Nehru which had a plan for the Indian Army.
The police are good enough to meet our security needs.”
In September 1947 he directed to reduce the strength of army from 2,80,000 to 1,50,000.