'Derogatory' ministerial remarks against Forces: Retired officers, academics urge President to act

By A Representative

In a strongly worded appeal addressed to the President of India, a group of senior retired defence officers, civil servants, academics and citizens have condemned recent statements made by Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda and Minister Vijay Shah, describing them as “derogatory and disrespectful” towards India’s Defence Forces.

The petition, dispatched via email and speed post, accuses the two ministers of making remarks that demean the institution of the Armed Forces and undermine the constitutional authority of the President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces under Article 53(2) of the Indian Constitution.

The controversy stems from Vijay Shah's comments following the recent India-Pakistan conflict triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack. Shah referred to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the Army’s spokesperson, in a manner that the petitioners said was “gender-insensitive, non-secular, and divisive,” insinuating communal overtones and mocking her role in the armed forces’ response.

Adding fuel to the fire, Deputy CM Jagdish Devda, during a public event in Jabalpur, stated that “the entire country bows at the Prime Minister’s feet” for the military’s retaliatory action, which the petitioners argue falsely implies that the Armed Forces operate under the Prime Minister’s personal command.

The letter draws parallels with a 2019 remark by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who referred to the Army as “Modiji ki Sena” (Modi’s Army), which had also attracted criticism but was met with silence from the government at the time.

Citing Article 53 of the Constitution, the petitioners reminded the President that the supreme command of the Defence Forces rests solely with her office and not with any elected leader or political party. They warned that such politicisation and disparagement of the Armed Forces could erode morale and weaken national security.

“We unequivocally condemn the statements made by the two Ministers,” the petition states, expressing concern that the Defence Forces, bound by strict discipline, cannot respond publicly to such attacks on their dignity.

Among the signatories is Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, PVSM, AVSM (Retd), former Chief of Naval Staff, who was joined by Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), former Vice Chief of Army Staff, and Maj Gen S.G. Vombatkere, VSM (Retd), a well-known defence analyst. Rear Admiral Alan O’Leary (Retd), Col Alok Asthana (Retd), and Cmde Lokesh Batra (Retd), known for his work on RTI and transparency, also endorsed the letter.

Several prominent civil servants and academics also signed the appeal. These include Ms. Meena Gupta, IAS (Retd), former Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests; Shri G. Balagopal, IAS (Retd); Prof. Jagdeep Chhokar, former Dean of IIM Ahmedabad; Dr. Vinod Vyasulu, a noted economist; Dr. Rati Rao, a retired scientist and women's rights activist; and Rosamma Thomas, a senior journalist.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has already taken suo moto cognisance of Vijay Shah’s statement and directed the registration of a case, indicating judicial concern over the minister’s remarks.

The letter ends with a reaffirmation of solidarity with the Armed Forces and a respectful appeal to uphold their honour and constitutional sanctity.

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

Subject to geological upheaval, the time to listen to the Himalayas has already passed

By Rajkumar Sinha* The people of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, who have somehow survived the onslaught of reckless development so far, are crying out in despair that within the next ten to fifteen years their very existence will vanish. If one carefully follows the news coming from these two Himalayan states these days, this painful cry does not appear exaggerated. How did these prosperous and peaceful states reach such a tragic condition? What feats of our policymakers and politicians pushed these states to the brink of destruction?

India's health workers have no legal right for their protection, regrets NGO network

Counterview Desk In a letter to Union labour and employment minister Santosh Gangwar, the civil rights group Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI), writing against the backdrop of strike by Bhabha hospital heath care workers, has insisted that they should be given “clear legal right for their protection”.

Rally in Patna: Non-farmer bodies to highlight plight of agriculture in Eastern India ahead of march to Parliament

P Sainath By A Representative Ahead of the march to Parliament on November 29-30, 2018, organized by over 210 farmer and agricultural worker organisations of the country demanding a 21-day special session of Parliament to deliberate on remedial measures for safeguarding the interest of farm, farmers and agricultural workers, a mass rally been organized for November 23, Gandhi Sangrahalaya (Gandhi Museum), Gandhi Maidan, Patna. Say the organizers, the Eastern region merits special attention, because, while crisis of farmers and agricultural workers in Western, Southern and Northern India has received some attention in the media and central legislature, the plight of those in the Eastern region of the country (Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Eastern UP) has remained on the margins. To be addressed by P Sainath, founder of People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), a statement issued ahead of the rally says, the Eastern India was the most prosperous regi...

'Centre criminally negligent': SKM demands national disaster declaration in flood-hit states

By A Representative The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has urged the Centre to immediately declare the recent floods and landslides in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Haryana as a national disaster, warning that the delay in doing so has deepened the suffering of the affected population.

Counterview

Search This Blog