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Army veterans write to PM Modi: Dissent is not treason but the essence of democracy, Army veterans

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9 years ago

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Army veterans write to PM Modi: Dissent is not treason but the essence of democracy, Army veterans

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief ministers of all states and lieutenant-governors of union territories, 114  Armed Forces veterans endorse #NotInMyName campaign, urge an end to prevailing atmosphere of hate in the country

A group of 114 Armed Forces veterans have endorsed the #NotInMyName campaign that has galvanized spontaneous nationwide protests by people of all ages against the prevailing atmosphere of hate, fear and intimidation evidenced by frequent cases of mob-lynching, violence by ‘Gau Rakshaks’ against Dalits, Muslims and other minorities, threats of rape and murder issued by social media trolls to anyone who criticizes the ruling Narendra Modi dispensation or the BJP.

In a curtly worded open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Armed Forces veterans like Admiral L. Ramdas, Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar, Major General MPS Kandal, Major General R.P.R.C. Naidu and Air Marshal N.V. Tyagi, among others have said: “We stand with the ‘Not in My Name’ campaign that mobilised thousands of citizens across the country to protest against the current climate of fear, intimidation, hate and suspicion.”

The letter, which is also addressed to chief ministers of all states and lieutenant-governors of union territories, states: “What is happening in our country today strikes at all that the Armed Forces, and indeed our Constitution, stand for. We are witness to unprecedented attacks on society at large by the relentless vigilantism of self-appointed protectors of Hinduism. We condemn the targeting of Muslims and Dalits. We condemn the clampdowns on free speech by attacks on media outlets, civil society groups, universities, journalists and scholars, through a campaign of branding them anti-national and unleashing violence against them while the State looks away.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1501494990994{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;background-color: #cecece !important;border-radius: 10px !important;}”]Here’s the full text of the letter:
We are a group of Veterans of the Indian Armed Forces who have spent our careers working for the security of our country. Collectively, our group holds no affiliation with any single political party, our only common commitment being to the Constitution of India.
It saddens us to write this letter, but current events in India have compelled us to register our dismay at the divisiveness that is gripping our country. We stand with the ‘Not in My Name’ campaign that mobilised thousands of citizens across the country to protest against the current climate of fear, intimidation, hate and suspicion.
The Armed Forces stand for “Unity in Diversity”. Differences in religion, language, caste, culture or any other marker of belonging have not mattered to the cohesion of the Armed Forces, and servicemen of different backgrounds have fought shoulder to shoulder in the defence of our nation, as they continue to do today. Throughout our service, a sense of openness, justice and fair play guided our actions. We are one family. Our heritage is like the multi-coloured quilt that is India, and we cherish this vibrant diversity.
However, what is happening in our country today strikes at all that the Armed Forces, and indeed our Constitution, stand for. We are witness to unprecedented attacks on society at large by the relentless vigilantism of self-appointed protectors of Hinduism. We condemn the targeting of Muslims and Dalits. We condemn the clampdowns on free speech by attacks on media outlets, civil society groups, universities, journalists and scholars, through a campaign of branding them anti-national and unleashing violence against them while the State looks away.
We can no longer look away. We would be doing a disservice to our country if we do not stand up and speak for the liberal and secular values that our Constitution espouses. Our diversity is our greatest strength. Dissent is not treason; in fact, it is the essence of democracy.
We urge the powers that be at the Centre and in the States to take note of our concerns and urgently act to uphold our Constitution, both in letter and in spirit.
Signatories (in alphabetical order of last name)
Lt Col E.N. Ambre
Brig V.K.S. Antony
Maj M.K. Apte
Col C.T. Arasu
Lt Col Israr Asghar
Cdr C.R. Babu
Lt Cdr P.S. Bal
Lt Cdr Rakeh Bali
Maj Gen Dipankar Banerjee
Lt Gen C.A. Barretto
Brig Noel Barretto
Col T.S. Bedi
Surg Cdr P Bellubi
Petty Off Gajanan Bhat I.N.
Cdr P.G. Bhat
Gp Capt A.V. Bhagwat
Col V. Bopiah
Maj Gen P.R. Bose
Vice Adm A. Britto
Col R.T. Chacko
Lt Col M. Chandrasekhar
Cdre R. Clarke
Col K.S. Choudhry
Brig T.P.S. Chowdhury
Brig Dileep Deore
Col Samuel Dhar
Lt Gen F.T. Dias
Lt Col A.P. Durai
Gp Capt M.P. Elangovan
Maj Gen Shyamal Ghosh
Col V. Nanda Gopal
Cdre E.C. Govindan
Col V. Govindarajan
Col R.P. Grover
Cdre P.C. Gulati
Cdr M. Hari
Lt Col Muzaffar Hasan
Brig Prem Hejmadi
AVM Kapil Kak
Col A.T. Kalghatgi
Maj Gen MPS Kandal
Col M.S. Kapoor
Maj Gen T.K. Kaul
Lt Col P.B. Keskar
Lt Col V. Kharkar
Wg Cdr R. Khosla
Brig Anil Malhotra
Col Arun Malhotra
Lt Col R.C. Malhotra
Brig G.K. Malik
Cdre G. Menezes
Wg Cdr S.N. Metrani
Maj G.N. Misra
AVM R.P. Misra
Col Biman Mistry
Col R.B. Mistry
Col A.K. Mitra
Col Pradip Mitra
Maj Gen H. Mukherji
Maj Gen R.P.R.C. Naidu
Col Pavan Nair
Lt Col V.K. Nair
Col R.L.V. Nath
Cdr M. Nirmal
Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi
Rear Adm Alan O’Leary
Air Cdre Tanpat Pannu
Lt Col Niraj Pant
Col R.C. Patial
Cdr Hector Poppen
Capt Subbarao Prabhala IN
Brig Ranjit Prasad
Brig V.H.M. Prasad
Wg Cdr K.V. Raghuram
Brig R.S. Rajan
Col S.S. Rajan
Cdr S.M. Rajeshwar
Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar
Col T.N. Raman
Admiral L. Ramdas
Vice Adm I.C. Rao
Col T.K. Ravindranath
Air Marshal D.S. Sabhikhi
Lt Col Nagaraj Sastry
Lt Gen K.M. Seth
Col P.D. Shah
Brig Baqir Shameem
Lt Gen Y.N. Sharma
Lt Col H.D. Shirmane
Vice Adm M.R. Schunker
Cdr M.A. Somana
Brig Amardeep Singh
Gp Capt D.R. Singh
Brig Joginder Singh
Brig Mastinder Singh
Cdr Rajiv Singh
Col Salam K Singh
Col S. Srikantha
Brig M. Sudandiram
Flt Lt R. Suresh
Sgt M.N. Subramani
Lt Cdr P. Subramanyam
Maj Gen L. Tahliani
Cdr S.P. Taneja
Cdr T.P. Tharian
Lt Col J.K. Thomas
Cdr M. Thomas
Cdr N. Tripathy
Air Marshal N.V. Tyagi
Capt A.K. Varma
Wg Cdr B.J. Vaz
Maj Rajah Velu
Lt Col R. Venugopal
Maj Gen S.G. Vombatkere[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning

After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.

Published

6 hours ago

on

June 16, 2026

By

Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.

The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.

His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.

After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.

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India News

DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity

DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.

Published

7 hours ago

on

June 16, 2026

By

Rahul-Gandhi

The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.

According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.

DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity

In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.

The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.

Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions

The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.

The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.

Congress rejects allegations

Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.

The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.

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Entertainment

Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.

Published

23 hours ago

on

June 15, 2026

By

Sanchita Ugale

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.

According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.

Career across television, OTT and films

Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.

The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.

Last social media post draws attention

Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.

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