March 2019, Australia: Christopher Pyne, the Australian defence minister, had just finished making an announcement on military leadership changes when journalists asked him some political questions.
General Angus Campbell, the defence chief, strode up to the minister, tapped him on the back and whispered in full view of cameras and within range of microphones: “My apologies. I might just ask that the military officers step aside while you’re answering these kind of questions.”
“Yeah sure, please do,” the minister replied, and the military officers standing behind him moved out of the frame.
March 2022, India: Inside the Indian Air Force's C-17 Globemaster that picked up from Bucharest Indian students who had left Ukraine, junior defence minister Ajay Bhatt was seen addressing the passengers after the plane had landed at Hindon Air Force Station near Delhi.
In a video clip, Bhatt is heard saying: “Don’t worry at all. Your lives have been saved by the grace of Modiji. Everything will be all right…. Bharat Mata ki… Mananeeya Modiji zindabad (Long live honourable Modiji).”
The minister went on praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
New Delhi: Military veterans on Friday did not merely question the minister’s “hero worship” on defence premises but also wondered what the fate of Indian officers would be if they stepped forward to do what Gen. Campbell did three years ago.
The former navy chief and a 1971 war hero, Admiral Arun Prakash, said in a tweet, referring to footage from Australia on the 2019 incident: “Australian CDF (chief of defence force) defines conduct of an ‘apolitical military’. Minister, gracefully, concurs.”
Prakash added: “The moot question is: how would a Minister of State respond to an AOC’s (air officer commanding) suggestion that political slogans are inappropriate in a military aircraft.”
"Not done. Must ensure such things are not repeated. No place for hero worship in armed forces," Major General Yash Mor (retd) said in a tweet while responding to a video posted by another veteran in which minister Bhatt was seen making a speech inside the air force aircraft.
Tagging defence minister Rajnath Singh, Vice-Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd) tweeted: "This happening in an IAF aircraft is JUST NOT ON."
Colonel (retired) Gopi Menon tweeted, referring to Bhatt's video: "Cheering for INDIA was genuine and Loud and Clear…. Rest was absurd!!! We as a Nation have become a Country which is always Marketing…. The expressions of the Students and their response said it all."
In the video, as the minister says "Bharat Mata ki…", the evacuees respond with "Jai".
Bhatt then says: "Mananeeya Modiji zindabad." Hardly any of the evacuees join in, but many smile.
The divergence in the responses was noticed and commented upon by some of the veterans.
"Bharat Mata ki - Loud Response Jai, Mananeeya Modiji - Muted response. Dear @BJP4India & PM @narendramodi_in these missions are national missions & not meant for personal idolatry, not on a military plane for sure. Let's please leave politics aside," Indian Navy ex-aviator Commander O.P. Singh tweeted.
Another retired navy aviator, Kaypius, said: "Here ministers invade airliners & military planes with impunity while the service watches nonplussed. A good moment to reflect what we have become."
Several social media users too slammed the junior defence minister for playing politics over a humanitarian issue and said the armed forces were supposed to be apolitical.
"Dude! No matter which party you support, even if you are a BJP supporter, you should feel offended by that gesture. We live in a democracy and we are citizens, not a Kingdom where we are subjects," said Twitter user Ramesh Radhakrishnan.
