We don't oppose any step by govt to strengthen security: Cong on CDS

The Congress on Wednesday apparently distanced itself from the critical remarks of party leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Manish Tewari on the appointment of General Bipin Rawat as the Chief of Defence Staff, saying it does not oppose any step taken by the government to strengthen the security of the country.

Party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said actions speak louder than words and soon the country will know how the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will work.

Commenting on it before that will not be right, she told reporters here.

Dev also refused to comment on Chowdhury and Tewari's critical remarks on the appointment of CDS.

"But I would like to say that the decision of appointing chief of (defence) staff is of the government. We only expect that he (General Rawat) will fulfil his responsibilities as the chief of staff. Any step taken by the government to strengthen the security of the country, the Congress does not oppose that," Dev said.

Congress Spokesperson Manish Tewari, in a series of tweets on Tuesday, had raised several questions over the appointment of Gen Bipin Rawat as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), saying the government has started on a "wrong foot" on the issue.

He had also asked whether the country was headed on a portentous path.

"With great regret and fullest of responsibility may I say that the government has started on a very wrong foot with regard to CDS. Time alone unfortunately will reveal the implications of this decision," Tewari had said on Twitter.

He had also asked why the appointment of a CDS is fraught with difficulties and ambiguities.

Chowdhury had also taken to Twitter to say, "At the end, Mr Rawat become the 1st Chief Of Defence Staff, government certainly taken all his performances into cognizance including his ideological predilection, Indian Army is an apolitical institution for which each & every Indian irrespective of caste, class, creed, community is proud of."