'Innovativeness' row: Left questions Army Chief's 'capacity, capability'

Slamming Army Chief General Bipin Rawat for lauding the 'innovativeness' of Major Leetul Gogoi, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday questioned the former's capability to understand the Indian society.

CPI (M) Mohammed Salim said this is not the voice of the Indian Army which he had heard since his childhood.

Expressing concern over the Indian values, Salim said such actions can erode the age-old rich value system.

"This is not the voice of the Indian Army which I have been hearing since my childhood. This is not one voice which we as Indians can defend. There is no doubt about Indians being innovative, but if Indian Army Chief terms it as innovative, then I doubt his capacity and capability about his understanding of the Indian society and what is innovativeness," Salim told ANI.

Salim, however, maintained that they, like all, are proud of the Indian security forces.

"Normally we don't have issues with the serving army officers and we are proud of our security forces who are risking their lives. Our civilisation, administration, society rests on certain values and high morals of the Indian Army and security forces are there because of this rich value system. So one stroke, and this is being eroded," he said.

Army chief Rawat yesterday came to the rescue of Major Gogoi, and said such "innovative ways are required to counter the dirty war" underway in Kashmir.

Indicating his firm approach to counter the insurgency, Gen Rawat said Army would take steps, which would break the clutches of militancy in South Kashmir.

Rawat added that the situation prevalent in Kashmir makes it mandatory for the Army to resort to tough measures.