Indian army won't shy away from flexing muscles on border: chief

Newly-appointed Indian army chief says force aims to maintain peace and stability along the border

Newly-appointed Indian army chief Bipin Rawat on Monday said the country's armed forces aim to maintain peace and stability along the border but would not "shy away from flexing its muscle, if need be".

"The force is to maintain peace and tranquility at the border but it will not shy away from flexing its muscle, if the need be," general Bipin Rawat said. He added that all units and services of the Indian army will work together as one, NDTV reported.



Last month, India announced the names of the new army and airforce chief along with the heads of the country’s spy agencies. Rawat took over as the new chief of army staff from General Dalbir Singh Suhag as the head of the 1.3 million strong force.



Rawat has served in the disputed region of Kashmir along the frontier with Pakistan, where troops of the nuclear-armed nations have been locked in  almost daily cross-border firing for months.

He has also served in the insurgency-hit northern states and along the border with China. The new chief was handpicked for the top job over two senior officers, a rare decision for the Indian army which follows seniority in appointments.

This article originally appeared on NDTV.