'Are you sending soldiers to die without a plan?'

The Trinamool Congress on Monday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah and said that the armed forces were being used for political posturing.

Minutes after the press conference of Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, in which he said that the Indian Air Force does not count the number of dead, the prime minister's office quoting Modi tweeted that everyone should believe the armed forces and be proud of them.

"We all believe the Armed Forces. Are proud of them. We don’t believe the Jumla Jodi. Are U sending our soldiers to die without a plan? Or purpose?... Or is your purpose only to win an election? U shamelessly reduce precious pics of martyred jawans to a backdrop at your pol rally) (sic)," tweeted TMC national spokesperson Derek O'Brien, quoting the PMO's tweet.

In another tweet, O'Brien also targeted Shah, accusing him of trying to co-opt the armed forces.

"Mr Modi & Mr Shah, are you sending our soldiers to die, without plan? Or purpose? ...Or is your purpose to only win the election? (In this speech, you shamelessly reduce the Armed Forces to being the private property of a political party)," tweeted O'Brien, referring to Shah's speech in Assam on February 17, where he said that the sacrifices of the forces will not be in vain because the BJP is in power at the Centre.