Hyderabad: Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday hit out at Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, for his statement that programs aimed at counter-radicalisation of youth in Kashmir should be started for saving them.
In a series of tweets, Owaisi said, “Who’ll deradicalise lynchers & their political masters? What about those opposing citizenship for Assam’s Bengali Muslims? Maybe deradicalise “Badla” Yogi & “Pakistan jao” Meerut SP? Maybe deradicalise those imposing hardship on us through NPR-NRC?”
“This is not the first ridiculous statement he has made. Policy is decided by civilian administration not by any General. By speaking on policy/politics, he is undermining civilian supremacy,” Owaisdi said in another tweet.
At a panel discussion during Raisina Dialogue 2020, General Rawat had said:
“We should start counter-radicalisation programs while identifying who are the people to have been radicalised and to what degree. Then look at them who are completely radicalised and then look towards the future. What we are seeing in Kashmir, young boys and girls as young as 10 years old have been radicalised, but they can still be isolated from radicalisation in a gradual manner.”
Similarly, CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury also condemned his remark.
“This is deeply condemnable and shocking. A military commander has no business saying this. It shows the weakness of the political leadership and is detrimental to India’s case on Kashmir.”