India

Former chiefs of armed forces write to President, PM on hate speech

They said that in view of current situation on borders, any breach of peace and harmony within the nation will embolden inimical external forces

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New Delhi: Five former chiefs of the armed forces and a number of other prominent citizens including bureaucrats have written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the recent incidents of hate speeches and urged them to take appropriate measures.

In a letter, the group of over 100 people also referred to the communal comments made at an event in Haridwar recently and condemned “in no uncertain terms” such “incitement” to violence.

“We cannot allow such incitement to violence together with public expressions of hate – which not only constitute serious breaches of internal security but which could also tear apart the social fabric of our nation,” they said in the letter.

They further said, “In view of the current situation on our borders, any breach of peace and harmony within the Nation will embolden inimical external forces.”

“The unity and cohesiveness of our men and women in uniform, including the CAPFs and Police Forces, will be seriously affected by allowing such blatant calls for violence against one or the other community in our diverse and plural society,” they added.

The signatories included former Navy chiefs Admiral (Retd) L Ramdas, Admiral (retd) Vishnu Bhagwat, Admiral (retd) Arun Prakash and Admiral (retd) RK Dhowan.

This post was last modified on January 1, 2022 11:03 am

Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India (PTI) is India’s premier news agency, having a reach as vast as the Indian Railways. It employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.

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