"Don't drag Army into politics": Rajnath Singh slams Rahul Gandhi over remark on Indian Army

Banka (Bihar) [India], November 5 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday came down heavily on Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the Indian Army, cautioning him to "not drag the Army into politics."
Addressing a public rally in Bihar's Banka, Singh said that soldiers have only one religion, that is 'Sainya Dharma'. He asserted that whenever the nation faced a crisis, its soldiers had raised India's head high through bravery and valour.
Rajnath Singh said, "There should be a reservation. We (the BJP) are also supporters of reservations. We have given reservations to the poor. But about the Army?... Our army soldiers have only one religion. That religion is 'Sainya Dharma'. There is no other religion besides this. Don't drag our army into politics. Whenever this country has faced a crisis, our soldiers have raised India's head high by demonstrating their bravery and valour."
"This politics of caste, sect, and religion has caused great harm to the country, and our thinking is that all sections of society should be uplifted. We aim to include all sections of society. We do not want to discriminate based on caste, sect, or religion. The sages and people of our country have never even thought about this," the Defence Minister added.

The Defence Minister also mentioned Operation Sindoor post Pahalgam terror attack and said all the major terrorist hideouts were wiped during the military operation, adding that the operation is not over yet, but is just postponed.
"Some terrorists sneaked in. They didn't come openly; they sneaked in. Some of our young men, accompanied by their families, had travelled to Pahalgam in Kashmir. They killed them after asking about their religion. There's no need to explain what happened after that. We wiped out all the major terrorist hideouts, the hideouts of major terrorist organisations, in Operation Sindoor...Our Operation Sindoor isn't over yet. It's been postponed for now. We'll launch another operation and destroy them... India is no longer known as a weak country in the world. India is now known as a powerful country in the world. India's reputation has grown in the international arena," Singh asserted.
His remarks followed Rahul Gandhi's comments on the Indian Army, which sparked controversy in Bihar's Kutumba ahead of the Assembly elections.
In an election campaign rally on Tuesday, Gandhi claimed that the Indian Army is "under the control of 10% of the country's population," apparently referring to the dominance of upper castes in the institution.
He highlighted the issue of economic inequality in India, stating that despite 90% of the population belonging to marginalised communities, including Dalits, Mahadalits, backward classes, and minorities, they are underrepresented in corporate India, bureaucracy, judiciary, and other key institutions.
"All the bank's money goes to them, they get all the jobs, and they even dominate most positions in bureaucracy. They control everything. Look at the judiciary. They handle everything there, too. They even have control over the army. And you will not find 90% of the population anywhere," Rahul Gandhi said.
Gandhi noted that the 500 largest companies in India, including Adani and Ambani, are predominantly owned by individuals from a small elite group, comprising only 10% of the population. He alleged that this group controls a disproportionate amount of wealth, bank loans, and influential positions in various sectors.
"In this country, 90% belong to Dalit, Mahadalit, backward, extremely backward, tribal, and minority groups. But if you look at the 500 biggest companies in corporate India, such as Adani and Ambani, you will not find backward, extremely backward, Dalit, Mahadalit, minority, or tribal individuals there. All of them come from 10% of the population," Gandhi had said. (ANI)
Voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on 121 constituencies will be conducted on November 6 (Thursday). The remaining 122 constituencies will vote in the second phase on November 11, with counting to be held on November 14. (ANI)