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Recruitment of political activists in NA a strict no-no: Army chief

Nepal Army chief General Rookmangud Katawal has said that the military will only abide by the "legitimate" orders of the legitimate government.

Speaking at the Nepal Army (NA) Training Center in Trishuli of Nuwakot, he also said the military won't "bear the flag of any particular party" by recruiting political activists against its criteria, clearly referring to the Maoist People's Liberation Army (PLA) combatants who are seeking integration with the NA to form a national army.

The remark by the army chief comes at a time when the relationship between the Maoist-led government and NA has dipped to an all time low following latter's plan to recruit personnel.

After NA seemed to defy the orders of Ministry of Defense to suspend recruitment of personnel, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday said NA cannot recruit personnel by violating past agreements and that if it does so then Maoist PLA will also follow suit.

General Katuwal said that anyone meeting the set criteria can easily get entry into the NA, adding that the military is strictly a non-political institution that has fought many battle to save the country's territorial integrity.

He also said no matter who may have committed it NA won't tolerate the violation of rule of law and compromises with the national integrity under any circumstances.

Meanwhile, speaking at a programme in Chitwan, Minister for Physical Planning and Works and Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) leader Bijay Kumar Gachchehar said that "wholesale integration" of Maoist combatants into NA will prove to be disastrous for the country.

In the same program, Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa linked the latest controversy over NA's recruitment plan to a conspiracy of "royalists" to topple the government. nepalnews.com ag Jan 04 08