‘Not Disrespected Army Chief,’ Says NCP’s Majeed Memon After Slamming General Bipin Rawat For ‘Being Part of BJP’s Poll Campaign’

Responding to General Rawat's remarks on Balakot earlier today, NCP MP Memon had questioned why the Army Chief is 'suddenly' talking about the IAF strikes.

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majeed Memon on Monday clarified his remarks on Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, after, earlier today, he said that the Army Chief was a part of the BJP’s poll campaign in Maharashtra.

In a tweet on his official Twitter handle, the senior NCP leader said, “I have not shown any disrespect to Army Chief but have only expressed anguish at ruling political bosses who are trying to use the Army to their political advantage at election times.”

I have not shown any disrespect to Army Chief but have only expressed anguish at Ruling poltical bosses who are trying to use National Army to their political advantage at election times.

— Majeed Memon MP (@advmajeedmemon) September 23, 2019

The clarification came after speaking about the Army Chief, Memon had said, “Why he is talking about Balakot now when the election process has started. So many months have gone by and suddenly he is talking about Balakot. Rawat should not become part of the election campaign of the government. It is not appropriate for him.”

This was in response to the Army Chief’s statement who, earlier today, revealed to the media that the Balakot terrorist camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pakistan, which was bombed earlier this year by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in retaliation to the Feburary 14 Pulwama suicide attack, had been reactivated.

This is the second controversial statement to have been made by an NCP leader in recent days, after party chief Sharad Pawar, who recently said that it’s a lie that people in Pakistan are unhappy and accused the Centre over spreading lies over Pakistan for its own political gains.

Maharashtra goes to polls on October 21, along with Haryana as announced on Saturday by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The two states, both of which have BJP Chief Ministers, will have single-phase polls, the results of which will be announced on October 24.