Chidambaram appeals to military officers not to step in political arena, leave politics to political parties

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday appealed to military officers "not to step into the arena of politics" and leave politics to elected representatives and political parties.

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], Dec 28: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday appealed to military officers "not to step into the arena of politics" and leave politics to elected representatives and political parties. He was responding to a query about remarks of Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat about violence during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

"It is very unfortunate that a retiring Army chief should make this statement. He has made similar statements in the past, but we ignored it because he is holding the high office of Chief of Army Staff. But to make a statement advising politicians how they should lead agitations is as bad as politicians telling him how to fight a war. If there is a war, we don't tell the Army chief how to fight the war, he fights it. We only tell him, please fight the war. He has to fight the war," Chidambaram told media here. "I would earnestly appeal to military officers not to step into the arena of politics. Leave politics to elected representatives and political parties. They should stick to their dharma of being in a uniform and defending this country. They should not seek to give lessons to political parties on how democratic agitations should be conducted," he added. (ANI)