Jawans using social media will be punished: Gen Bipin Rawat

New Delhi: On occasion of 69^th Indian Army Day on Sunday, Army chief general Bipin Rawat said that the army jawans, who do not follow the specified rules for addressing their grievances, will be liable to appropriate punishment.

The Army chief general made the statement two days after a jawan posted a video criticising the army for misusing the soldiers.

"Proper channels are present for jawans to address their grievances. If they are not satisfied with the action taken, they are allowed to contact me directly," General Bipin Rawat during an address on Army Day on Sunday.

"The army officials will be considered guilty is they opt for any other channel for addressing their grievances in place of the specified ones and they will also be liable for punishment," the General said.

General Rawat had earlier talked about the grievances issue on Friday, after a jawan, Lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh, shared a video on social media criticising the use of soldiers as 'sahayaks' or 'buddy'.

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"I had written an application to the Prime Minister requesting him not to make the soldiers, who act as sahayaks, to polish shoes," said Singh, who's with the 42 Infantry Brigade in Dehradun. He also claimed that he was harassed by seniors for writing to PM Narendra Modi about these issues.

The Army chief on Sunday said that sharing of such videos on social platforms could have a deleterious effect on the brave soldiers protecting India's borders.

The Army provides sahayaks to the officer ranked personnel to maintain their uniforms and weapons. They also act as their radio operators and buddies during combat operations. The parliamentary committees, however, have slammed the sahayak system describing it as a vestige of the colonial era.

They claim that officers deliberately misuse their 'sahayaks' by forcing them to do household works, walk the dogs and take kids to school.

Speaking over the same, General Rawat, last week, said that the Army has already asked the government to examine if 'non-combatants' should be appointed to replace soldiers as sahayaks in peace-time locations. The Army, however, has pressed for the system to continue in the field and forward areas.