ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday warned that Indian military was increasingly getting radicalised, a worrisome scenario that could potentially have serious implications for regional peace and security.

In a rejoinder to Indian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat’s comments, the FO said his “irresponsible and gratuitous” statement shows his ignorance about ground realities in Pakistan and his politicised view.

“His tirade is also illustrative of the RSS-BJP mindset — a dangerous mix of extremist ‘Hindutva’ ideology and expansionist ‘Akhand Bharat’ designs,” it said.

“It is a sad fact that this mindset has permeated the state institutions of India, including the armed forces,” it added.

At a seminar at India’s National Defence College, Gen Rawat had said that “increased collusion” between Pakistan and China posed an “omnipresent danger” for India.

He referred to Pakistan as “incorrigible neighbour”.

The FO asked Gen Rawat to focus on his professional domain, rather than continuing to make a career out of anti-Pakistan rhetoric.

“The Indian CDS’s diatribe against Pakistan cannot divert attention from India’s myriad internal and external wrongdoings,” it maintained.

It recalled that religious places in India are regularly desecrated, mob lynchings take place with state complicity and persecution of minorities and disadvantaged segments was growing by the day because of the BJP government’s ‘Hindutva’ policies.

The FO said that state terrorism against innocent Kashmiris in occupied Kashmir is pursued by India as an instrument of state policy.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2020