Army Chiefs shouldn't be allowed to join politics for 5 years post retirement

Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said that Army chiefs should be allowed to join politics only after a gap of five years following their retirement.

"After retirement, no Chief or General of Army should be allowed to join politics for five years. They can do so after five years," Gogoi told ANI.

Gogoi also criticised General Bipin Rawat's statement on the rise of Maulana Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) and said no Army Chief should make comments on political affairs.

"Since Independence, I've never seen an Army Chief making comment on political parties. Army's main role is maintaining the security of the country and repulse attack by the enemies of the country.

It is not their business to look into the political affairs," he added.

On Wednesday, General Rawat said that Assam's AIUDF "has grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP grew over the years."

"There is a party called AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front). They have grown in a faster time-frame than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) grew over the years. When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs and where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam," he said at the North East Region of India- Bridging Gaps and Securing Borders Summit.

General Rawat's remark invited a wrath of the Opposition, , including AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal who said it was not his job to comment on political status.

"As the Chief of Indian Army, his main job is to lead the great Indian Army rather than commenting on the political status of different parties," he told media here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)