Ramaswami: General Bipin Rawat, days before assuming the post of chief of defence staff, made a provocative statement regarding the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. He said: “Leaders are not those who lead people in inappropriate directions…..We are witnessing in a large number of university and college students – the way they are leading masses of crowds to carry out arson and violence in cities and towns – this is not leadership.” Such a statement on a domestic political issue came from the army chief who had earlier also made controversial remarks. It may be recalled that General Rawat was promoted as the army chief superseding two generals senior to him. At no time was there any attempt by the government to criticise his political remarks, or, to rein him in.