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Former Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria (retired) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and the steps taken by his government to modernise and strengthen the armed forces.
Varaprasad Rao, a former MP and a Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress leader from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, also joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Anurag Thakur and party general secretary Vinod Tawde.
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria (retd) -- who hails from Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP is yet to name its candidates for many Lok Sabha seats -- said his new innings gives him a chance to contribute to nation-building.
Having retired in 2021, he termed the last eight to 10 years of his service as a 'golden period', praising the steps taken by the Modi government to boost self-reliance and modernise the armed forces.
He also praised its measures for national security and lauded Modi's foresight, saying the steps taken across various departments will help the country emerge stronger.
Rao, a former IAS officer, said Modi is the most dynamic politician he has seen and lauded his government's development initiatives.
Thakur noted that two people with a long track record in government service chose the BJP to contribute to the nation, asserting that the prime minister has been working for the country's security, prosperity and development.
He noted that it was this government that fulfilled the demand for 'One Rank, One Pension' of armed forces veterans, scrapped Article 370 and boosted the country's internal security.
Tawde lauded Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria's long service in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and expressed confidence that he will now contribute actively in the political field after playing an active role in the defence forces.
The BJP leader said Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria spent nearly 40 years in the IAF and contributed to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat programme of Modi.