New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that the Vice Chief of Army staff, Lt General K Pattabhiraman, should be suspended and action should be initiated against him for statement.
In an interview, the Vice Chief had said that "Army can do without women" - to which the Army had responded by saying that his statement has been blown out of proportion.
The Army is already reeling under a spate of incidents involving its women cadre and this comment was seen as a confession of its low ‘comfort level’ with its women officers.
The Army's top brass has dismissed the comment as a distortion.
Additional DG Public Information, Major General R S Sujlana Sujlana, claimed that Pattabhiraman had been misquoted and it was Government's policy to encourage women to join the armed forces.
Sujlana says, “It is fully right that we introduce women officers into the Army. Induction of suitably qualified lady officers is a very positive step. We are very proud of the fact that the ladies are in the Army."
The Army also tried to distance itself from the impression that it considers women as avoidable baggage. But the whole incident seems to be an admission that there were shortcomings in the grooming of women officers.
Lt Sushmita Chakraborty, a woman army officer who committed suicide in Udhampur, was cremated on Saturday.
The entire episode of her suicide has put the spotlight on the status of women Army officers.
Meanwhile, a report from Jammu said that the Army has ordered a high-level inquiry into the cause and circumstances, which led to the suicide of Lt Sushmita.
Denying any harassment at the workplace, Command Brigadier K K Chopra said it was a case of depression.
Comments
0 comment