Bengaluru, Dec. 8: Political leaders cutting across party lines from Karnataka including Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai expressed shock over the crash of an Indian Air Force helicopter carrying the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday
General Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, and his wife died today after a military chopper crashed in Tamil Nadu, killing 13 on board. The only survivor, an Air Force Group Captain, is being treated for severe burns.
Mr Bommai told reporters that search and rescue operations are under way at the place of the accident. “I am deeply pained to hear the Army helicopter carrying the Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat meeting with an accident. I am trying to get more information,” he said.
“This is the most unfortunate incident. The nation is in a state of shock,” he said.Former prime minister and Janata Dal (S) supremo, H. D. Deve Gowda said in his tweet that “Very disturbed to hear that an Indian Army helicopter carrying CDS Bipin Rawat, senior army officials, and family members crashed between Coimbatore and Sulur in Tamil Nadu. I pray for the safety of everybody.”
Leader of the opposition in Assembly, Siddaramaiah tweeted that the news of the chopper crash that was carrying CDS General Bipin Rawat is disturbing. Let us hope for good news.
And Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, D. K. Shivakuamr said that the images of the IAF chopper crash carrying CDS General Bipin Rawat are disturbing. Prayers for his well being and safety of all the members aboard.
General Rawat, 63, took charge as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff in January 2019. The position was created to integrate the three services – the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
The Chief of Defence Staff is the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and has to be the main military adviser to the Defence Minister besides giving impartial advice to the political leadership.
A former Army Chief, General Rawat was also appointed the head of the newly-created Department of Military Affairs.
The general joined the army as a second lieutenant in 1978 and had four decades of service behind him, having commanded forces in Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Actual Control bordering China.
