India appoints new army chief Army Staff Lt. General Bipin Rawat

The Indian government late Saturday evening appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Bipin Rawat as the next Army chief.

"Government has decided to appoint Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat, vice chief of army staff, as the next chief of army staff with effect from afternoon of December 31," the Defence Ministry tweeted.

Lt. General Rawat, who will succeed incumbent General Dalbir Singh when he retires on December 31, has been appointed to the top post of the Indian Army, superseding two senior generals.

However, India's main opposition Congress party has questioned why the seniority principle has not been followed in the appointment of Lt. General Rawat.

"Why has Seniority not been respected in Aptt. of Army Chief? Why have Lt Gen PRAVIN Bakshi & Lt Gen Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded, Mr PM?" tweeted Congress leader Manish Tewari.

source: Xinhua