Those who referred Gen Rawat as 'galli ka gunda' compelled to use his photo in posters: U'khand CM

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], December 16 (ANI): Taking a dig at Congress over posters featuring pictures of Chief Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat with Indira Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said that it is due to policies of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that those who used to refer to Rawat as a "galli ka gunda" (street goon) are compelled to use his picture in their posters.
"They conducted a political programme. General Rawat was our brave soldier. It is because of policies of BJP and Modiji that the ones who used to call a soldier as brave as Rawat as a 'galli ka gunda' are now compelled to put his pictures in their posters," said Dhami while talking to ANI.
Posters with photos of Congress leaders Indira Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi alongside General Rawat, who recently died in a chopper crash in Tamil Nadu, sprung up in the streets of Uttarakhand ahead of the Wayanad MP's rally in Dehradun ahead of state Assembly elections next year.
India's first Chief of Defence Staff and longest-serving four-star officer General Bipin Rawat, who hails from Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand, died in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8 along with 13 others including his wife Madhulika Rawat.
Posters countering those with faces of Congress leaders have also been put up in the city questioning the party's sudden respect for General Rawat.
The posters have a photograph of younger Rahul Gandhi with party colleague Sandeep Dixit with a media report from 2017 with the title, "Congress leader Sandeep Dixit called Army Chief 'roadside goon'."
On the 'Sainik Samman Programme' organised at the Chief Minister's residence on the occasion of Vijay Diwas, he said, "Vijay Diwas has a huge significance in our history. Our army recorded it
"This programme is on Vijay Diwas, which has big significance in our history. They recorded their biggest win. So we honoured our soldiers in a programme today."
Swarnim Vijay Varsh commemorates 50 years of India's victory in the 1971 war and the formation of Bangladesh. (ANI)