New Delhi, April 03: Newly-appointed Army Chief General VK Singh has ruled out using the Army against Naxals, saying they are not secessionists.
“The Naxalite problem is a law and order problem, which is a state subject. It stems from certain issues on the ground, be it of governance, be it of administration, be it of socio-economic factors. Since it is not a secessionist movement, I think our polity is astute and wise enough to know the implications of using the Army against their own people,” General Singh was reported as saying on Friday.
His remarks came in response to a question as to whether the Army should be deployed in anti-Naxal operations.
“We (the Army) are there to assist the state (police) forces and, at the moment, it is in terms of training,” Singh said.
General Singh’s remarks followed IAF chief PV Naik’s assertion that the armed forces ‘by and large’ seek to stay away from internal security duties.
“It’s a job which the police and paramilitary have to do,” he said on Tuesday after taking over as the new chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
“If the scale (of the Maoist rebellion) becomes so big that the police and paramilitary are unable to handle it, then only will the government decide if the armed forces are to be involved,” he added.
-Agencies