Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday strongly criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his comments during an election rally where he called for reservation in the armed forces. Singh warned Gandhi not to involve the military in political matters.
“Do not bring the Army into politics. Soldiers have only one religion, and that is ‘Sainya Dharma’. Whenever the nation has faced a crisis, our soldiers have made the country proud with their courage and sacrifice,” Singh said while addressing a rally in Bihar.
During his speeches in Banka and Jamui, Singh also accused the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha of trying to spread disorder in the country by demanding reservation in the armed forces.
At a campaign rally in Kutumba, Bihar, on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi had claimed that the Indian Army was “under the control of 10 percent of the country’s population,” referring to the dominance of upper castes in the institution.
Responding to this, the Defence Minister said that while the BJP supports reservation for the poor, the Army must remain above such divisions. “There should be reservation, and we support it. But when it comes to the Army, our soldiers have only one religion, and that is ‘Sainya Dharma’. There is no other religion beyond that. Do not bring politics into the Army. Whenever India has faced a challenge, our soldiers have upheld the country’s honour through their bravery,” he said.
Singh added that politics based on caste, community, and religion has caused great damage to the country. “Our goal is to uplift every section of society without discrimination. The people and sages of our nation have never believed in dividing society by caste or religion,” he said.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, Singh mentioned that all major terrorist hideouts were destroyed during the mission and noted that the operation has only been paused, not ended.
In his earlier speech, Gandhi spoke about economic inequality, claiming that despite 90 percent of India’s population belonging to marginalised communities such as Dalits, backward classes, and minorities, they remain underrepresented in corporate India, bureaucracy, the judiciary, and other key institutions.
“They control the banks, most jobs, and even the judiciary. They dominate the Army too, while 90 percent of the population is excluded from these spaces,” Gandhi said.
Chirag Paswan, Union Minister and leader of the BJP’s ally LJP (RV), condemned Gandhi’s remarks, calling them “shameful and unfortunate.” He stated that the Army should never be seen through the lens of caste or religion and that such statements insult the soldiers who serve the entire nation.
“The Army should not be politicised. His words are an insult to our soldiers. It is both shameful and unfortunate. If the Leader of the Opposition views our Army in terms of caste and religion, nothing could be more regrettable,” Paswan told reporters in Patna.
Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain also criticised Gandhi, accusing him of “speaking the language of urban naxals.”
“Rahul Gandhi is echoing the language of urban naxals. He has not even spared the Army. He should apologise to the nation. His words have hurt the morale of our soldiers, and the people of India will not forgive him for this,” Hussain said.
