Is CDS Rawat trying to convert India on lines of China, Russia?, asks Prithviraj Chavan

Mumbai:  Far from being impressed with India’s first-ever Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat’s political statements on terrorism, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said that the army-man is trying to convert India into another China.

CDS General Bipin Rawat on 16 January had said that de-radicalization camps are operating in the country as it was necessary to isolate people, who are completely radicalized.

In an address at an event in New Delhi, CDS General Rawat, delving into the situation in Kashmir, said girls and boys as young as 10 and 12 years are being radicalized in the Valley which he described as a matter of concern.

“These people can still be isolated from radicalization in a gradual way, but there are people who have been completely radicalized. These people need to be taken out separately, possibly taken to some de-radicalization camps,” Gen Rawat had said.

The remarks continue to trigger protests and controversy across the nation.

Speaking at an event at the Mumbai University’s Kalina Campus on 25 January, Congress leader Chavan said, “In regard to Kashmir, now they (CDS General Rawat) are talking about detention and deradicalization camps. We know such camps and places do exist.” 

Referring to a hand-held paper, Chavan added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government itself has admitted on constructing and operating such camps. He claimed that the government in a submission to the Parliamentary committee had admitted that one individual had died in such a detention camp. 

“Deradicalization and re-education camps? I mean, what are we talking about? Is he (CDS General Rawat) trying to convert India like China or Russia? The world knows what China is doing in their re-education camps with a certain population (Uyghur Muslims),” Chavan said.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Seshadri Chari defended the government’s stance on the statement made by the CDS General Rawat. “We have no idea of any detention camps. The General’s statement must be seen entirely and not in just parts,” Chari replied to Chavan in the event.

However, the former editor of the Organizer was quick to add that if the statement given by CDS General Rawat was wrong, then the government must pull him up.