The Indian Army on Thursday defended their chief after his remark had ensued controversy. The Indian army said there was nothing political in the statement made by General Bipin Rawat was criticised by many including AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

General Bipin Rawat had remarked that the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has a faster growth rate than Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam.

According to the Indian Army, Rawat’s statement was not religious or political. Army Chief just mentioned amalgamation & development in the seminar on North-East organised at DRDO Bhawan on February 21.

“There is a party called AIUDF, 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,” the army chief had said stating that the demographic dynamics can’t be changed.

AIMIM chief Owaisi criticised him and said it was not army chief’s job to make political statements. AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal also spoke over the issue and discarded Rawat’s statement.

“We respect General Rawat a lot but I think he has been misinformed and misguided. People say we are a Muslim party which is false. We've always given 20-25 seats to our Hindu brothers in all elections. Muslims brothers had also laid down their lives for the freedom struggle. We're Indians. Let us live with the dignity of an Indian,” Ajmal said.