Army's role is defined, says Raja

Special Correspondent 

Expressing concern over the Army's recent intervention on various issues, senior parliamentarians on Sunday said it should work under its defined domain. “In India, the Army has no right to interfere in policy matters. It has a defined role,” Lok Jan Shakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan said in reply to questions about the Army's statement criticising Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's move to demilitarise certain parts of Kashmir and the proposal to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. “The Army cannot act as a spokesperson on behalf of the government. It is for the government to formulate policies and institutions like the Army have to implement them.”

CPI leader D. Raja said: “Under a structure, the Army's role is defined.” “We think the policies are primarily the domain of political leadership and all the apparatus has to work under that.”

On the Army's “interference,” filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said: “If India has to remain India, it should not behave like Pakistan.”

(Courtesy : www.hindu.com/ 06/12/2010)