‘Armed forces should be kept away from politics’: Ex-Army chief MM Naravane flags apolitical ethos as India’s strength

Former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has stressed that the country’s armed forces must remain distanced from political discourse, saying their apolitical character is central to India’s strength as a democracy.

In remarks to ANI, Naravane framed the military’s institutional neutrality as a defining feature of India’s governance structure, placing it alongside the judiciary and the press as one of the pillars that uphold the system. He said keeping the Army, Navy and Air Force insulated from political narratives has been a consistent principle and a source of national resilience.

Advertisement

Armed forces must stay away from politics, says Naravane

“The armed forces should be kept as far away from politics as possible. The Indian armed forces pride themselves on being a very apolitical Army, Navy, and Air Force,” Naravane said.

Pointing to developments in regions around India, he added that the country’s military has consciously avoided entanglement in political matters. “If you see what is happening in the country’s periphery, it is a strength that we have never even sought to get involved in political matters, and that’s what makes our country strong,” he said.

Military one of the pillars of governance

Elaborating on the role of the armed forces in a democracy, Naravane described them as a foundational pillar supporting governance. “That’s what makes our democracy strong, that we are one of the pillars of governance, along with the judiciary and the press. This is a strong pillar on which the country is doing so well,” he said.

He also drew a clear distinction between the institution and individuals within it.

Individual rights versus institutional neutrality

Naravane said while the armed forces as an organisation remain apolitical, personnel retain their democratic rights as citizens.

“But that does not mean that we cannot have our own political affiliations, that we cannot cast our vote. You have to differentiate between the organisation and the individual. As an organisation, we are totally apolitical. But as individuals, we have full democratic rights to cast our vote,” he added.

Earlier controversy over unpublished memoir

Naravane’s remarks come months after a political row linked to excerpts from his unpublished memoir. In February, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi cited a magazine article carrying portions of the book during the motion of thanks on the President’s Address.

The reference triggered sharp exchanges in the House, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh objecting to the use of material from an unpublished and unauthenticated work. Members of the ruling benches also opposed Gandhi’s remarks.

The dispute escalated further, with Opposition MPs moving a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging he did not allow Gandhi to speak. The motion, however, was later dropped after a voice vote during the second phase of the Budget Session.