Chief of Army staff General Bipin Rawat on Sunday said that action can be taken against soldiers who make complaints on social media. Rawat’s statement came after videos from Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force staff complaining about their treatment went viral on social media.
Rawat said Army staff should go through the regular channels if they wanted to register complaints, and said, “A few colleagues are using social media to draw the media’s attention to their problems. It affects the morale of the jawans and thereby the Army... You can be held guilty of a crime... and get punished.” He was addressing an Army Day parade in Delhi Cantonment. Last week, he had said there were complaint/suggestion boxes for soldiers to register their feedback, or suggested they could even contact him directly in case of serious complaints.
Rawat also took the opportunity to address the increased violence along the Line of Control with Pakistan over the past few months. “I understand that our competitors are aware of our strengths. While being always ready, our policy is to take action at any place and any time. Our efforts to restore peace on the border must not be viewed as our weakness,” he said. He added that India wanted peace with China and that “the armies on both sides have improved on mutual coordination”.
Last week, a Central Reserve Police Force constable took to social media to complain about the alleged step-motherly treatment towards paramilitary forces. His allegations come two days after the Border Security Force initiated an inquiry into a video posted by a jawan complaining about the poor quality of food being served to security personnel.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!