Army won't shy away from flexing its muscles: Gen Rawat

General Bipin Rawat, who took over as the 27th Army chief and said that the force is to maintain peace and tranquillity at the border.

New Delhi, Jan 1: New Army Chief General Bipin Rawat today said the role of the force is to maintain peace and tranquillity at the border but it will not "shy away from flexing its muscles, if the need be".

Eastern Army commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern commander Lt Gen P M Hariz will continue to serve the Army and maintain the unity, he said. "The force is to maintain peace and tranquillity at the border but it will not shy away from flexing its muscles, if the need be," Gen Rawat said.

All units and services of the Army are together and he would always look at each one of them as one unit, he said. Rawat, who took over as the 27th Army chief yesterday, was speaking to reporters here after inspecting the Guard of Honour at the South Block here. Gen Rawat had superseded two senior most Lt Generals -- Praveen Bakshi and P M Hariz.

Lt Gen Bakshi yesterday announced "full support" to the new chief and told theatre officers through video conferencing he will continue to lead with full professional sincerity as hither-to-fore. Government sources had earlier said Rawat was found best suited among the Lt Generals to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the North-East.

PTI