Army chiefs must not be allowed to contest election for 5 years post retirement: Tarun Gogoi

Former Assam chief minister, Tarun gogoi on Saturday suggested that chiefs of India army must be barred from contesting elections for at least five years from the date of retirement.

This according to Gogoi will dissuade the army chiefs from getting closer to ruling party towards the end of his career.

Army Gen Bipin Rawat kick started a controversy recently when he said in a seminar on ‘North East Region of India — Bridging Gaps and Securing Borders in New Delhi. “There is a party called AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front), if you look at… they have grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP has grown over the years. When we talk of Jan Sangh with two Members of Parliament and where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam. Finally, what will be the state of Assam, we will have to take a call.”


Gogoi questioned Rawat’s intention and said that his comment has political overtures. “After VK Singh there is now growing tendency among the generals to get into politics post retirement.”

He said, “It is a fact Northeast India is vulnerable to proxy game played by Pakistan and china and the elements of this was based Bangladesh and Nepal. When I was chief minister I have taken up by the prime ministers the need for more development in Northeast India.”