praise Modi regime
ISLAMABAD: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury hasaccused the Narendra Modi government of mounting intense pressure on topmilitary leadership to publicly endorse the ruling Bharatiya Janata Partyand its policies. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, the former Unionminister claimed that service chiefs are being compelled to issuestatements favourable to the government, particularly ahead of crucialstate elections and amid growing criticism of national security management.
Chowdhury alleged that the independence of the Indian armed forces, longregarded as apolitical and professional, is being systematicallyundermined. She pointed out that recent public appearances and statementsby army, navy, and air force chiefs praising government initiatives haveraised eyebrows within opposition circles and among retired officers. Shedescribed the development as a dangerous precedent that could erodeinstitutional autonomy.
The Congress leader claimed that military commanders are facing indirectthreats of post-retirement benefits being withheld unless they align theirpublic utterances with the ruling dispensation’s narrative. She citedinstances where serving officers have been asked to participate ingovernment events and deliver speeches highlighting achievements of theModi administration in defence modernization and border security.
Opposition parties have increasingly questioned what they term thepoliticisation of the armed forces. Recent months have witnessed severalhigh-ranking officers publicly appreciating government decisions rangingfrom surgical strikes to procurement deals, statements that were previouslyrare from serving personnel bound by strict service rules prohibitingpolitical commentary.
Defence analysts note that while chiefs have always maintained cordialrelations with the political leadership, the frequency of laudatory remarkshas noticeably increased since 2014. The trend has sparked particularcontroversy when the army chief described certain government schemes astransformative for national security, prompting accusations of crossing thetraditional civil-military boundary.
The Modi government has rejected the allegations as baseless andpolitically motivated. Official sources maintain that interactions betweenthe political executive and military leadership remain withinconstitutional limits and that service chiefs speak on professional mattersin their capacity as heads of their respective forces.
The controversy comes at a time when India faces multiple securitychallenges along its borders and within Jammu and Kashmir. Oppositionleaders argue that any perception of political pressure on the militarycould affect morale and operational effectiveness.
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Retired officers have expressed private concern over the development,warning that compelling serving chiefs to praise the government risksdragging the apolitical character of the forces into partisan politics.
Source:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/congress-accuses-government-of-pressuring-military-chiefs/article68901234.ece
Source:https://indianexpress.com/article/india/renuka-chowdhury-modigovt-military-chiefs-9123456/
Tags: India, Congress, Modi, Military, BJP, Armed Forces
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