Days after his claims of poor food being served to troopers caused national outrage, BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav’s new audio clip has now emerged in public domain.
The audio clip is part of a telephone conversation which was recorded by his wife Sharmila Yadav. In the audio clip, Tej Bahadur has claimed that the bigwigs of the paramilitary force have been pressurising him to withdraw his case and tender apology for the same.
“The officials are forcing me to withdraw my complaint and apologise,” Tej Bahadur told his wife.
While the date and time of the audio clip is unknown, it is evident that the talks between the two took place after Tej Bahadur’s shocking videos went viral earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Sharmila has come forward in defence of her husband, saying ‘he is paying for speaking truth’.
“If my husband was mentally unstable or indisciplined, why was he given a rifle by the BSF to guard the country's border in crucial areas?” his wife Sharmila Yadav was quoted by Times of India as saying.
"What he did is not wrong...he showed the truth..he has just made a demand for good food and 'roti'. To say that he has a mental problem is wrong. If this was true, why was he sent to the border and was put on duty? Why was he not sent for treatment? " she added.
Times of India, in its report, cited Sharmila saying that her husband had won a gold medal after completing his training before being inducted into the BSF. She also claimed to be in possession of 14 awards given to him by the BSF authorities in his 20-year career.
She further alleged that her husband has been punished in the past by the BSF for speaking the truth. “BSF is a disciplined force and in the armed forces even a small mistake is intolerable. If he had such a bad record, why was he retained,” she said.
His son said that "it was not wrong" to demand good food for himself and the troops posted on the borders.
"How would we otherwise know what is happening there (in the forward areas) and what is happening with them (troops)? We just want a fair probe and justice," Yadav's son said.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that his Ministry has received an "interim report" from the BSF on the issue and "there are some issues."
"I don't want to comment on that (report) as of now but I want to make a personal appeal to the people of the country and the media that do not create an issue...a big issue until the probe in this case is done. All this will work to hit the morale of the jawans," Rijiju told reporters.
A full report is being prepared by a DIG-rank officer of the BSF based in Jammu and Kashmir after the Union Home Ministry ordered for the same and it is expected to be submitted today.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh had taken note of the video and had ordered an "appropriate action" into the incident.
"I have seen a video regarding a BSF jawan's plight. I have asked the HS (Home Secretary) to immediately seek a report from the BSF & take appropriate action," Singh had tweeted.
BSF had said Yadav, who posted these videos, was court-martialed in 2010 for indiscipline and aiming a gun at a senior officer even as it assured of a thorough probe into his allegations.
In videos uploaded on social media platforms, the jawan, wearing camouflage uniform and carrying a rifle, claimed that while government procures essentials for them, the higher-ups and officers "sell it off" in an "illegal" manner in the market and they have to suffer.
He posted other videos saying the quality of food served was not of good quality.
The jawan hails from Mahendragarh district of Haryana and had joined the force in 1996.
Yadav who was deployed along the Line of Control in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir and has now been shifted to a nearby battalion pending the Court of Inquiry (CoI).
