Army must stay out of politics, says Indian Army chief amid row over China remarks

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Gen Dwivedi said, "I think the political answer has been given by Raksha Mantri ji (Rajnath Singh) in form of Tweet and the Defence Ministry has given description which has been given out. But things which I learned - it is important that I must make an endeavour that Army should not be involved in politics."

His remarks came in response to a question about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statement in Parliament, where he claimed that the Chief of Army Staff had acknowledged a Chinese incursion into Indian territory.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had strongly refuted the opposition leader’s claims, providing a detailed response.

Addressing his earlier comments about the Indo-China border terrain being “doctored” by either India or China, Gen Dwivedi clarified that the Indian Army had not moved into any disputed areas but had merely become “comfortable” and “assertive” in its presence.

"If you take your mind back to 2007, or even 2001, earlier ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) used to control the area, the Indian Army was negligible but over a period of time we have moved ahead, similarly China also," he explained.

Discussing the development of infrastructure and facilities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Gen Dwivedi noted that an increased troop presence necessitated logistical expansions such as roads, transportation, and billeting.

"It is not that we have come to a disputed (area) where there are some issues. Wherever we are, we have made ourselves assertive and comfortable. If all that is the case, then the terrain will be doctored because you have to make the roads, billeting, since it has been done by both the sides, therefore, that is what I wanted to say," he added.

On stockpiling resources, the Army Chief pointed out that with a larger deployment, additional arrangements were needed for food, shelter, and operational readiness.

"Let’s say, earlier you had 100 troops, now you have a thousand troops. You need ration, storage for thousand people. Let's say if tomorrow something critical comes up, then you have another 200 people coming in. Now you have to arrange for their stay also, their ration and their fighting capabilities... Both sides are doing this," he told ANI.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, recently alleged that China was “sitting inside this country” due to the failure of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

His remarks were strongly refuted by the Defence Minister.

During the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s Address, Gandhi said the Prime Minister had “denied that Chinese forces are inside our territory but... Chief of Army Staff has said that the Chinese are inside our territory.”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh countered this claim on X, stating, “The Army Chief’s remarks referred only to the disturbance of traditional patrolling by both sides. He also mentioned that these practices have been restored to their traditional pattern as part of the recent disengagement. Government has shared these details in Parliament.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri recently visited Beijing for discussions with Chinese officials on the next steps in bilateral relations, including political, economic, and people-to-people exchanges.

India and China had reached an agreement in October on patrolling arrangements in the Depsang Plains and Demchok, two key friction points along the LAC.

This understanding followed earlier disengagements in eastern Ladakh, achieved through diplomatic and military negotiations.