Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has terms Army’s court of inquiry against Major Leetul Gogoi for strapping a man to a jeep’s bonnet as a “human shield” as “farce”.
“In future, please don’t bother with the farce of a military court of inquiry. Clearly the only court that matters is the court of public opinion,” Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
His remarks came after the Major was honoured by Army chief General Bipin Rawat recently with a ‘Commendation Card’ “for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations”.
Pertinently, a video, showing the man tied to the army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on 9 April, had triggered a public outcry, prompting the Army to institute a probe and the police to register a case against the officer.
Abdullah said that the government is adopting double standards on issues of human rights violations. “And international conventions like the Geneva/Vienna ones only count when India can accuse others of violations. Do as we say, not as we do,” he said.
Meanwhile Major Gogoi had yesterday explained the “circumstances” around tying the man to the jeep, which he said saved causalities.