Dehradun: Days after his removal as chairman of the standing committee on defence, former Uttarakhand chief minister and BJP MP Major General B C Khanduri said on Saturday that he had “no regrets at the development” “I have done my duty,” he added.Khanduri was replaced by former Union minister Kalraj Mishra on Tuesday. As chairman of the standing committee on defence, Khanduri had delivered reports critical of the country’s defence preparedness. A report in March this year highlighted low stock of armaments with the armed forces.Talking to TOI over phone from Delhi on Saturday, Khanduri said, “In my tenure, I have taken numerous decisions for improving facilities for our army, navy and air force. I have no regrets. I have done my duty as chairman of the parliamentary defence committee.”Khanduri admitted that the abrupt ending of his term had come as a surprise to him but added that he was “a soldier” and like a soldier he would “follow orders.” He said that he had no plans to contest the 2019 general elections but would perform “whatever role the party had in mind for me.”Meanwhile, the state unit of Congress alleged that Khanduri was removed from the panel as he was critical of the country’s defence preparedness. Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana had said on Friday that the BJP removed Khanduri to ensure that there are no critical reports on defence matters ahead of the crucial elections in 2019.

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