'Army Shouldn't Be Dragged Into Politics': Chirag Paswan Calls Out Rahul Gandhi For Caste Remark

Last Updated:November 05, 2025, 12:43 IST

The Union minister argued that dividing the Army on the basis of caste is not good and such remarks “insult the Army”

LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan (Image: News18)

Union minister Chirag Paswan on Wednesday strongly condemned Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about the Indian Army, calling them “very disappointing" and “shameless". Speaking after Gandhi’s comment that only “10 per cent of India’s population controls the Army", Paswan said the statement was an unacceptable attempt to drag the armed forces into caste politics.

Gandhi, campaigning in Bihar’s Aurangabad and Kutumba ahead of the assembly polls, asserted that “the Army is under the control of 10 per cent of the country’s population (i.e., the upper castes)", while the remaining 90 per cent, comprising Dalits, backward classes and minorities, “are nowhere to be seen".

Paswan argued that Gandhi’s framing was deeply harmful to an institution that “should not be dragged into politics". “Dividing the Army on the basis of caste is not good," he said, asserting that such remarks “insult the Army". He added: “His statement has insulted the Army and brought disrepute to what our soldiers stand for."

BJP spokesperson Suresh Nakhua said, “Rahul Gandhi is now looking for caste in the Armed Forces and claims that 10 percent of people control it. His hatred for Prime Minister Modi has turned into hatred for India itself."

This is not the first time Rahul Gandhi’s comments about the military have drawn criticism. Earlier in August, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Congress MP over his statement that “Chinese troops are thrashing Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh," made during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Gandhi had also alleged that the Chinese army occupied nearly 2,000 sq km of Indian territory, remarks that led a retired defence officer in Lucknow to file a defamation complaint, accusing him of tarnishing the Army’s image.

The latest controversy comes at a critical time when Bihar is about to go in for voting for assembly elections. Gandhi’s remarks, viewed by his critics as a deliberate appeal to backward and minority communities, have ignited questions over the line between advocacy for representation and undermining national institutions.

News politics 'Army Shouldn't Be Dragged Into Politics': Chirag Paswan Calls Out Rahul Gandhi For Caste Remark

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