Defence Ministry (MoD) official spokesperson Swaranshree Rajashekhar was sent on indefinite leave on Friday hours after she posted a tweet criticising the alleged misuse of privileges by military officials leading to an outcry among the veterans. She later deleted the tweet saying “it was inadvertently done and the same is deeply regretted.”
The Ministry later in the day said Army Public Relations Officer (PRO) Colonel Aman Anand will be acting spokesperson as the “MoD spokesperson proceeds on leave.
The twitter controversy began after she responded to a comment by former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash. He had re-tweeted a photograph showing a military flag on the bonnet of an official car of the Internal Financial Adviser to the Western Command of the Army in Chandimandir in Haryana’s Panchkula district. The officer is a civilian and is not allowed to use flags on his vehicle, a right reserved for armed forces officers. “Even if misuse of an Army Command’s insignia by a civilian is not a cognisable offence, the person needs to be reprimanded by the GOC in C whose ‘Financial Adviser’ he is,” Prakash had tweeted.
Responding to his comments, Rajashekar, tweeted, “What about misuse of jawans in your residence during an officer’s tenure sir? And how about children being picked up and dropped to school in Fauji (military) gaadis (vehicles)? Not to forget Madam’s shopping expedition on Government vehicles. And endless parties...Who pays for that?”
Her response to 72-year-old Prakash, a war hero who was Navy chief between July 2004 and October 2006, drew sharp reactions from military veterans. Some of them even said the principal spokesperson’s comments reflected the approach of the bureaucracy towards the armed forces.
In a tweet, Major General (retired) Harsha Kakar told Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that the spokesperson’s comments mirrored true colours of the Ministry towards the three services.
“Is this inadvertent. It shows the true colours of your MoD Madam. You are meant to protect the military, not insult it. Keeping this spokesperson is an insult to India, its armed forces and their sacrifices.
It shows no respect for senior veterans. Your spokesperson is a disaster,” he said.
Retired Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur called the tweet to the former Navy chief by Rajashekar as “shameful”. BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar also took strong exception to the spokesperson’s comments and demanded an inquiry into the matter.
“Dear @DefenceMinIndia @DrSubhashMoS - who is this ‘Defence spokesperson’ who reprsnts MoD ie Govt n talks like this. This is unacceptable conduct n I wud rqst an enquiry into this. This is unconscionable, disrespectful n arrogance tht behooves a response. @PMOIndia (sic)” he tweeted.
Amid angry reactions by veterans, Admiral Prakash said there should be sober reflection on state of civil military relationship. “Rather than getting excited over indiscreet tweet of @SpokespersonMoD
I would suggest sober reflection; (a) by MoD on state of civil-mil relations & (b) by Military Leadership on the aspersions cast by MoD (IDAS?) civil-servant on personal conduct of Service officers,” he said.