After Rahul Gandhi rap, Sandeep Dikshit ‘sorry’ for jibe on Army Chief

New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday pulled up party spokesman Sandeep Dikshit for saying that Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat had spoken like a “sadak ka goonda” (street ruffian) in recent remarks, following which Mr Dikshit apologised and said that his “choice of words was wrong”. He, however, said that the “intent was right”.

After an uproar erupted over Mr Dikshit’s remark, Mr Rahul Gandhi distanced himself and the Congress Party and said: “A leader of the Congress has made a statement regarding the Army Chief. It is wrong.” Saying the Army should “never be politicised”, Mr Gandhi said: “Political leaders should not make statements about the Army Chief.” Mr Gandhi added: “I want to make it clear that (for us) the Indian Army defends the country... and so no statements should be made against the Army.”

The BJP had earlier demanded action against Mr Dikshit for his remarks. Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that “it is shocking that a Congress leader has now targeted the Army Chief”, and went on to add: “I wonder if there is a strategy of the Congress to undermine our institutions. They do so in Parliament but to do so to the Army is shocking.” Minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju also hit out at Mr Dikshit over his remarks, and tweeted: “What’s wrong with Congress Party? How dare Congress call Indian Army Chief as ‘Sadak Ka Gunda’?” The BJP also demanded the Congress leadership should apologise for Mr Dikshit’s remarks. Ms Sitharaman said there was “no sense of apology” in Mr Dikshit’s remarks after being pulled up by the Congress leadership and said that the Congress should “disown” Mr Dikshit, a former Lok Sabha MP. “There is no sense of apology in his tweets. No less than Congress president Sonia Gandhi should come out and apologise,” Ms Sitharaman said at a press conference. She went on to add the Congress leadership had allowed many of its leaders to go “haywire”, and that there was a “pattern in it”.

She said: “It shocks me and my party.”