Gunda remark: Rahul Gandhi rebukes Sandeep Dikshit
"It's absolutely wrong," Gandhi was quoted as saying by the media.
He said no politician should make a comment against the Indian Army chief.
"He (Army Chief) is the chief of the Indian Army and no politician should make any comment against him," he said.
A day after Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit created a stir by likening the army chief to a "street thug" (Sadak ke goonda), the Government reacted strongly, denouncing the comment and demanding an apology from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, reports said.
Making a statement, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also accused the Congress of "consistently" shaming and demoralizing the army.
"We condemn it and demand that the Congress leadership, especially Sonia Gandhi, come out and disown the leaders who are continuously insulting the army. They must apologise," she said.
Sitharaman also questioned whether it was a "Congress strategy to undermine the army's confidence".
"They shame and demoralise their own army. The kind of words...the latest bout of words shocks me and my party...These are coming from eminent leaders of the (Congress) party, a party which governed us for the last 60 years," Sitharaman said.
Dikshit has, however, sought apology for his remarks.
"I genuinely believe what I said was wrong. So I apologise for it and withdraw my statement," he said.
Image: Office ofRG
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