'Want him to sacrifice life, but...': Ex-officer backs Army captain amid row over proposal

ARetired police lieutenant superior general has amount come out in back up of a newly commissioned Army pilot whose viral proposal to partner at a passing-out parade ceremony in Maharashtra's Nashik has drawn mixed reaction.The surprise proposal happened at the passing-out parade on Tuesday at Combat Army Aviation Training School near Nashik in Maharashtra.Videos of the proposal that went viral showed the newly commissioned pilot — Captain Bharat Bhardwaj — dressed in his ceremonial military uniform, walking onto the tarmac, going on his knees before his partner and proposing with a ring,. All of this happened with an army helicopter in the backdrop. While the proposal has melted many hearts since going viral, it also sparked a debate online whether the gesture broke protocol.Amid the mixed reactions, the Army took cognisance of the matter and is likely to seek an explanation from the newly commissioned pilot, HT reported earlier. While the proposal and its social media presence violates several protocols laid out by the Army, the gesture is unlikely to invite any major trouble for the captain.‘Don’t do nuktachini': Ex-officer slams trollsLieutenant General (retd) Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon slammed the negative comments on the videos and images of the proposal and voiced against what he described was “nuktachini [petty criticism]” over a "pure gesture of love"“You want the young officer to sacrifice his life for the love of the Nation, but you don’t want him to express his love for his fiancée. In the Army we say ‘Youngster nahi karega, toh kaun karega’” the retired officer said on X.If you can not find a fault in his professional capabilities, don’t do this nuktachini for such a pure gesture of love and belonging, he said. Asserting that military equipment has been on display during many ‘Know your Army’ exhibitions around the country, Lt Gen (retd) Dhillon said, “Students and non military personnel have clicked pics with it showing pride and love for the Army.”So, please don’t bring in the national security angle into this, he emphasised and urged people to “let the young soldier do his national duty with pride and honour”.Many backed the former Army officer in comments and wished the couple a happy future together, while some expressed differing views.“One heartfelt moment should not overshadow a Captain’s commitment, discipline, and service to the nation. Wishing the couple a happy future together,” one comment under the ex-officer's post read.Another user, requesting for his views not to be taken negatively, said his concern is more about maintaining the highest standards of military discipline than about the officer's patriotism or professional competence.“My concern is not about the officer's patriotism, character, or professional competence. It is only about maintaining the highest standards of military discipline, security awareness and public perception. If such practices become common, they may eventually create unintended risks rather than motivation,” the comment read.