BCCI chief set for new innings, as a TA officer

New Delhi, July 27 

Anurag Thakur, BJP MP and BCCI president, is set for a new innings as an officer in the Territorial Army.

Thakur, 41, will be commissioned into the Territorial Army (TA) as a regular officer on Friday to become the first serving BJP Member of Parliament to join the military force. Thakur made it to the TA after clearing an exam and an interview in Chandigarh and training in Bhopal.

As a regular officer, the Lok Sabha member from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh will have to undergo the mandatory training. 

The Territorial Army, the second line of defence after the regular Army, consists of volunteers who receive military training for about a month in a year so that in case of an emergency, they can be mobilised.

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The Territorial Army is not a profession, occupation or a source of employment. It is only meant for those already in mainstay civilian professions. In fact, gainful employment or self-employment in a civil profession is a pre-requisite for joining the Territorial Army.

“I am looking forward to my training and serving the country,” said Thakur, whose grandfather was in the Army. “I have always had the passion to join the Army. I have seen many youngsters sacrifice their life for the nation.”

Thakur said there were several issues concerning the forces which he had seen and dealt with from the outside, “but now I will be able to see the conditions from within and will be in a better position to raise issues in Parliament”. — PTI