New Delhi: A political row erupted over the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the Army chief with opposition parties asking the government why other senior officers were ignored.
Hours later, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari addressed a press conference, where he questioned whether the appointment was "whimsical cherry-picking".
He also questioned the appointment of an interim CBI director instead of a full-time chief and the delay in the appointment of a new Chief Justice of India who will succeed Justice TS Thakur.
Why has Seniority not been respected in Aptt.of Army Chief?Why have Lt Gen PRAVIN Bakshi & Lt Gen Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded Mr PM?? Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016
2/2 Why has third senior most officerLt Gen Bipin Rawat with due respects to his professionalism superseded other two in a herarichal force?? Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016
3/3 correctionGen Rawat is not third but fourth senior most. Even Lt Gen BS Negi Army commander Central Command is senior to him ? Why Mr PM? Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016
4/4 and I only hope& pray it is untrue that this supersession in the Army is not a precursor to suppressions in other institutions Like SC??? Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016
Government sources said Lt Gen Rawat was found best suited among the contenders to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the North-East.
They said Lt Gen Rawat has tremendous hands-on experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades.
He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the North-East.
Supersession in the army is not new though there has not been any such instance in the recent past. In 1983, the then prime minister Indira Gandhi had appointed Lt Gen AS Vaidya as army chief superseding Lt Gen SK Sinha, who resigned in protest.
(With PTI inputs)
Comments
0 comment