Armed forces suffered due to criminal negligence by previous dispensation: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the armed forces and national security suffered due to criminal negligence before his government came to power in 2014, in an attack directed at the Congress.

In an address to a group of ex-servicemen ahead of the inauguration of the National War Memorial, Modi said the previous dispensation put "the family first" while for him it was India first.

He said this while referring to the long delay in construction of the memorial mooted decades ago.

The delay by previous governments in construction of national war memorial was an injustice to families of fallen soldiers, he said.

The Prime Minister said crucial decisions related to defence procurement and strengthening the armed forces were pending but his government cleared them on priority basis.

Addressing the ex-servicemen, he said the government will set up three super-specialty hospitals for them.

On the Rafale deal, Modi said attempts are being made to stop arrival of the fighter aircraft aircraft but they will come to nought once the jets start flying in months.