Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawats top 5 controversies

As India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat is no
stranger to controversy. He has courted the media spotlight with inflammatory
comments which have polarized the citizens of the nation.

The General awarded Major Leetul Gogoi the Chief of Army Staff’s
Commendation, for his efforts in controlling counterinsurgency operations. However,
this drew some backlash since Gogoi faced trouble in 2017 for tying a
Kashmiri civilian to his vehicle, to prevent stone pelters from targeting the
convoy. His stance on disability also led to trouble. Rawat stated that
soldiers falsely claiming to be disabled would face severe consequences.

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Again, in 2017, Rawat’s comments against stone pelters in Kashmir drew
some ire. He expressed his wish that the people would fire weapons, so he could
do what he wanted to. At that time, he asserted that the army had a friendly
image, but people needed to be afraid of the troops when necessary.

Even the military veterans had an axe to grind with Rawat, who suggested
that a code of conduct should be followed by retired officers as well.
Moreover, in extreme situations, pension benefits could be withdrawn too.
Rawat’s statements came as an effort to curb junior officials from abusing
senior generals and demeaning the image of the army as well as the officer’s
dignity.

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His remarks about women in the army have also been met with criticism
for being patriarchal. General Rawat said that women in combat roles might
complain about men peeping in their tents, while they were changing. As a
result, the army would have to provide sheets around them. Most recently, he
spoke out during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests. Condemning the violence
that was occurring across the nation, General Rawat defined that leadership cannot
be about leading people to violence and arson.

General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others were killed in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.