PM's orders were pretty clear: Army veteran rebuts Rahul Gandhi's LAC charge

A sharp political-military debate has erupted after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cited references from former Army chief Gen MM Naravane’s unreleased book to allege that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not give “clear orders” during the India-China standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Hitting back, senior Army veteran and BJP spokesperson Brigadier Anil Gupta (retd) rejected the charge, saying it reflected a poor understanding of how the armed forces function and amounted to politicising national security.

“The Hon’ble PM’s direction was pretty clear: Do what needs to be done. That’s what the Army is meant for,” Brig Gupta said. He questioned the premise of the criticism, asking whether anyone seriously believes soldiers deployed on the LAC require step-by-step political instructions in combat situations. “What other instruction was needed?” he asked.

Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, Brig Gupta said the Congress leader was misrepresenting military decision-making to remain politically relevant. He accused Gandhi of dragging the armed forces into partisan debate and called such commentary misguided.

To underline his argument, Brig Gupta cited multiple operational precedents where commanders took decisive military action without direct political clearance. Recalling his own service, he said that in September 1992, Indian forces silenced enemy positions and demolished bunkers in the Kaksar Battalion Defended Area in Kargil using air defence guns, supported by infantry mortars and artillery. “No PM was asked. Only the Corps Headquarters knew about it,” he said.

He also referred to a 1995 incident in which Indian forces shot down a Pakistani helicopter carrying a brigadier using an Igla shoulder-fired missile on the explicit orders of the Siachen Brigade Commander. According to him, the episode illustrated the authority vested in commanders on the ground to respond to evolving threats.

Going further back, Brig Gupta invoked historical examples from 1967 and 1971 involving Lt Gen Sagat Singh. He recalled that Singh held firm at Nathu La against Chinese forces despite withdrawal orders and later crossed the Meghna River during the 1971 war against political and higher military directions—operations that proved decisive in India’s victory and the creation of Bangladesh.

“As a commissioned officer, one has immense authority to deal with challenging situations,” Brig Gupta said, adding that hesitation often stems from lack of conviction or fear of uncertainty. “If my boss tells me, ‘Jo uchit samjho woh kijiye,’ I would be proud of him and myself and take action as my military training taught me.”

The retired officer dismissed post-retirement commentary on operational decisions as “futile and incorrect,” especially when used for political point-scoring. He was particularly scathing about Rahul Gandhi, calling him a “cheap disruptor” who “needs something to remain relevant.”

Brig Gupta also turned the spotlight on the Congress’ historical record, recalling that on December 5, 1961, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said in Parliament, “Why do we need Aksai Chin, not even a blade of grass grows there?” He added, “If there is any political party that has compromised national security and sovereignty, it is the Congress.”

The remarks come amid a charged political atmosphere, with the government and the opposition trading blows over the handling of the China challenge, even as the Army maintains a high state of operational readiness along the LAC.