CNN-News18
First published: January 12, 2017, 1:23 PM IST | Updated: 6 mins ago
A grab from BSF soldier Tej Bahadur Yadav’s video.
New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Thursday has sought a report from the home ministry over BSF jawan Tej Bahadur’s allegation that poor quality of food being served to them at bordering areas.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Sharmila – wife of Tej Bahadur whose video on how soldiers at the border were forced to live with poor rations went viral – welcomed PMO’s intervention.
“I am very happy that Prime Minister wants to look in to the matter. My husband wanted to drew his (PM Narendra Modi) attention and he succeeded. I am hopeful that now other jawans will get all required facilities in the bordering areas,” she said.
Sharmila also alleged that her husband was threatened to take back the complaint and accused a section of superior officers of pressurising him for an apology.
“They told my husband to take back the complaint and also pressurising him for apologies,” she said.
On January 8, Tej Bahadur who was stationed along the border in Jammu and Kashmir alleged that troops are served bad quality food and even have to go “empty stomach” at times.
In a facebook post he claimed that, “Governments change, but our situation doesn’t change… We only get a parantha and tea as breakfast and this is without any pickle or vegetables… we slog for 11 hours and at times we have to stand throughout the duty hours. For lunch, we get ‘dal’ (pulses) which only has ‘haldi’ (turmeric) and salt… with roti. This is the quality of the food we get… how can a jawan do his duty?”