NEW DELHI – Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has been snubbed at homeover giving the political statement and raising concerns over theincreasing Muslim population in parts of India.
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal lashed outat the remarks of Indian Army Chieflink>GeneralBipin Rawat`s comments about the growth of the party in Assam allegedlybecause it enjoyed the support of the Muslim population.
General Rawat has been misinformed and misguided. People say we are aMuslim party which is false. We’ve always given 20-25 seats to our Hindubrothers in all elections. Muslims brothers had also laid down their livesfor the freedom struggle. We’re Indians. Let us live with the dignity of anIndian,” he said.
“If Army chief is saying that demographic change is happening in Assam thenit is the government’s job to check it. We are the only party which saidthat shoot anyone who infiltrates into our borders,” Ajmal added.
“Have asked for time to meet with the President, PM and Home Minister. OurMLA delegation will meet and clarify our position. Whenever I meet HM, hemeets me warmly and addresses me as ‘Badruddin *bhai*’. If we wereanti-national would he welcome me,” he pointed out.
Earlier Ajmal had tweeted, “General Bipin Rawat has made a politicalstatement, shocking. Why is it a concern for the Army chief that apolitical party, based on democratic and secular values, is rising fasterthan the BJP? Alternative parties like the AIUDF, the AAP have grownbecause of the misgovernance of big parties.”
He had asked if by making such a statement, the Army chief was “indulgingin politics which is against the constitutional mandate given to him”.
General Bipin Rawat said that Pakistan and China are behind illegalimmigration in the Northeast. He made this statement while addressingNortheast Region of India Bridging Gaps and Securing Borders Summit in NewDelhi on Wednesday.
“Migration from Bangladesh is due to two reasons. One, they are running outof space. Large areas get flooded during the monsoon and they haveconstricted area to stay. So, people will continue coming into our place,”the Army chief said.
“The other issue is a planned immigration that is taking place because ofour western neighbour (Pakistan). They will always try and ensure that thisarea is taken over by proxy warfare. This proxy game is being very wellplayed by our western neighbour and supported by our northern neighbour(China),” he said.
Maintaining that it was difficult to change the population dynamics ofNortheast, General Rawat said, “There is a party called AIUDF. They havegrown in a faster time-frame than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) grewover the years. When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs and where they havereached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam.”