HYDERABAD – Endorsing Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat’s comments, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Friday said that the Army has been running de-radicalisation camps since ages.
Defending Rawat, who was attacked incessantly by the opposition parties, which said he cannot comment on civilian issues as he was from the defence services, Reddy said the de-radicalisation camps issue indeed pertains to the army and was not a civilian issue.
“He never spoke on civilian issues. He spoke on the security angle of the country.
He never spoke about political and civilian issues…
Reddy, the minister of state for home, told PTI.
In the first such disclosure, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat on Thursday said de-radicalisation camps are operating in the country as it was necessary to isolate people who are completely radicalised.
In an address at the Raisina Dialogue, Gen Rawat, delving into the situation in Kashmir, said girls and boys as young as 10 and 12 years are being radicalised in the Valley which he described as a matter of concern.
Several political leaders, including AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury had hit out at Rawat, saying the CoD is meddling with civilian issues.
“It (de-radicalisation) is the responsibility of the Army…. This (these camps) are there for a long time. It is part of their (army) service.
They will go to places which have been identified as radicalized and organise medical camps, offer them educational guidance and counsel parents. Our military personnel always do this,” Reddy said.
The minister further said all these services are offered as part of the de-radicalisation programme of the youth.
Speaking at a public meeting at Adilabad on Thursday night, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said de-radicalisation was needed for those who lynch and kill innocent Dalits and Muslims.
“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,” Yechury tweeted on Thursday.
Gen Rawat had further said that containing radicalisation is the key to effectively combat terrorism, adding that radicalised young people were involved in pelting stones at security forces in Kashmir.
Rawat’s De-Radicalisation Comment Ridiculous: Owaisi
Hitting out at the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat’s comments advocating ‘de-radicalisation camps’ for children, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has questioned who would deradicalise attackers of Muslims and Dalits.
Speaking at a public meeting at Adilabad on Thursday night, the Hyderabad MP said de-radicalisation is needed for those who lynch and kill Dalits and Muslims.
“I want to inform the chief of defence staff, General saab, if you want to deradicalise, then listen, you first read the Juvenile Act. IPC is not applicable to children. What kind of de-radicalisation you are talking about,” he said.
“General saab says that they will bring new law to deradicalise children. Meerut SP says in Muslim localities that they (Muslims) eat here and sing songs in favour of Pakistan. He says go to Pakistan. Who will de-radicalise such SPs. Dalits and Muslims are being lynched. Who will de-radicalise those attackers?” the AIMIM chief said.
Rawat on Thursday in an address at the Raisina Dialogue, said de-radicalisation camps are operating in the country as it was necessary to isolate people who are completely radicalised.
The MIM supremo alleged that names of five lakh Bengali Hindus and an equal number of Muslims are missing in Assam and the Hindus will be given citizenship under Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), leaving out the Muslims.
He said the names of some family members of former president of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed were also missing in Assam and questioned who would de-radicalise those responsible for the blunder.
In a series of tweets, Owaisi said this is not the first time that Rawat uttered comments undermining the civil administration.
“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,” he tweeted.
“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?” the MIM leader said in another tweet.
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