1/1 Why is appointment of a CDS is fraught with difficulties & ambiguities ? What implications does nomenclature Pr… https://t.co/K6LRNNUea5 — Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) 1577765632000

Being an erudite lawyer and MP I thought @ManishTewari would argue on facts and logic but alas, that is not to be.… https://t.co/MXDQQ3cwWn — Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) 1577803521000

Dividing has been the Congress’ favourite hobby and views of @ManishTewari would make his bosses very proud.The rol… https://t.co/dSBxKFc5TK — Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) 1577803576000

If the Tweets of @ManishTewari are a CV for better roles in the Congress, they are excellent. But, if it is to add… https://t.co/JjbM8mOvUq — Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) 1577803711000

1/4 Would the CDS overide the Service Chief’s with regard tri Service agencies and organisations What are the impl… https://t.co/S7duxDFDyF — Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) 1577765634000

Being a veteran of 1962 SinoIndian War, 1965 IndoPak War,1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and Indian Peace Keeping Fo… https://t.co/5GScAQxMBY — Brig. (Dr.) B. D. Mishra (Retd.) (@BrigMishra) 1577808267000

NEW DELHI: Former Union minister and BJP MP Rajyavardhan Rathore on Tuesday hit out at Manish Tewari 's criticism over the post of Chief of Defence Staff and asked the Congress leader not to "trivialise" the issue.Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari had on Monday said that he government has started on a "wrong foot" over the appointment of the CDS and only time will unfortunately reveal the implications.He also asked why the appointment of a CDS is fraught with difficulties and ambiguities. "What implications does nomenclature Principal Military Advisor to Defense Minister have in relation to the three service chiefs in terms of Military advise tendered to the government?Will the advise of the CDS override the advise of the respective Service Chiefs," he asked.Slamming Tewari, the BJP leader said, "Being an erudite lawyer and MP I thought Manish Tewari would argue on facts and logic but alas, that is not to be. I hope he had at least seen the press release before tweeting on an important issue like the institution of the CDS."Rathore further said that dividing has been the Congress’ favourite hobby and views of the Tewari would make his bosses very proud. "The roles of respective Chiefs, Defence Secretary and CDS are well defined. None has been sidestepped or sidelined. Please do not trivialise the issue or try to divide.""If the tweets of Manish Tewari are a CV for better roles in the Congress, they are excellent. But, if it is to add to discourse on national security, they are misleading and harmful. They personify colonial mindsets and try to create institutional divides where none exist," Rathore added.Responding to Rathore later, the Congress leader said that there are serious issues that have not been thought through before CDS was brought into existence.Earlier, Tewari had asked if the CDS, as Permanent Chairperson of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, outranked the three service Chiefs. "Would the three Chiefs report to Defense Minister through Defense Secretary or through CDS now," he asked."What will be the position of CDS qua Defense Secretary?Would the Defense Secretary in terms of Rule 11 of Transaction of Business Rules continue to be the administrative head of the Defense Ministry? What is the remit/mandate of the proposed Department of Military Affairs?" he said.Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh governor and Army veteran B D Mishra disagreed with Tewari saying it does not behove a former Union minister to indulge in "ill informed" tweeting.Mishra said, "Appointment of CDS, a primus inter pares, has the organisational, integrational, logistics & operational frontiers. All modern democratic countries have CDS to balance nation's might with national interest. With the appointment of CDS, to advise the apex National Security Committee, optimisation of integrated defence efforts has now become a reality to India’s great strategic advantage."The governor added that after the review of the lessons of all wars, that independent India fought, appointment of CDS has been the unanimous demand of Indian Military experts.He further said, "Following the same concept in World War-II, General Eisenhower, US Army & Field Marshal Montgomery UK Army, both 5-Star Generals, the former as Supreme allied Commander and the latter as one of his Ground Forces Commanders, worked in well coordinated manner and won the Battle of Normandy."Calling the Indian Army the most time-tested apolitical and patriotic Army in the world, Mishra urged Tewari to not take India's defence needs to peril by "negative political tools"."Your tweet has caused worries to all of us, serving as well as retired, armed forces personnel," he added.