Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday disapproved his party leader Sandeep Dikshit likening Army Chief General Bipin Rawat to a “goon on the street”, saying it was “absolutely wrong”.
Gandhi said the Indian Army works for the country and there was no need for any political leader to make comments against the army chief.
“Someone from the press told me today that a Congress leader has made comments about the army chief. This is absolutely wrong,” he said, addressing a Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee meeting.
“People should not make any comments against the army chief. I want to make it clear that the Indian Army works for us, it protects India. There is no need for any political leader to make comments against the army chief,” he said.
Facing flak, the Congress has already distanced itself from Dikshit’s remarks, over which the Bharatiya Janata Party had demanded his expulsion from the organisation and its president Sonia Gandhi’s apology.
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had also slammed Dikshit over his remarks and wrote on Twitter, “What’s wrong with Congress Party? How dare Congress call Indian Army Chief as “Sadak Ka Gunda”!! (sic).”
“Ours is not a mafia army like the Pakistani army which makes statements like the goons on the street. It looks bad when our army chief gives a statement like a ‘sadak ka goonda’ (goon on the street),” the former Congress MP and son of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit had said on Sunday.
He, however, later withdrew his remarks and tweeted, “I have reservations on a comment of the army chief, but I should have chosen appropriate words. I apologise.”
