Naravane warns keep armed forces apolitical as politics encroaches leadership roles

Military must stay separate yet soldiers still vote freely

Former Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane urged that the Army, Navy and Air Force remain insulated from political narratives. He argued that the military, like the judiciary and press, is integral to democracy, but should not be pulled into partisan politics. At the same time, he stressed that individual service members retain democratic rights, including voting.