A high-ranking Indian military official ended up evoking a storm of criticism on social media with his recent comments on the role of women in the country’s armed forces.
During an interview with News18 TV channel, General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Indian Army Staff, spoke against assigning women to combat roles in the military, claiming that India "is not ready" to see slain female troops returning home in body bags.
He also argued that some male soldiers may be reluctant to accept a female commander, and that it would require extra effort to prevent male soldiers from peeping on their female counterparts.
A number of Twitter users however took a dim view of the general’s assessment, criticizing his stance and even accusing him of sexism.