To see this as a dispute on jurisdiction over appointments and to construe this as defiance of civilian authority would be totally missing the dangerous implications of the government's stance.

It is now well established that Vice Admiral Harinder Singh had, in a statutory complaint annexed to a writ petition before the Calcutta High Court, accused Bhagwat of being communal-minded, by citing the fact that his wife is a "half-Muslim" and that consequently he is surrounded by officers of a particular community. For a senior officer of the armed forces to make such a blatantly communal statement in a petition to the court would, in the normal course, invite strict disciplinary action. As has been pointed out by many commentators, this would in itself warrant removal of the officer from service.

Instead of doing so, the BJP-led government first expunged the adverse entries against the officer made by the Naval High Command and then proceeded to impose such an officer as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.

The CPI(M) has been warning that, with the BJP-RSS combine assuming power at the centre, no institution will be spared the attention of the communal forces. The attempt to patronise and promote an officer who openly displays communal bias is a dangerous portent. Efforts will be made to align the senior echelons of the armed forces into the Hinduvta mould.

Not only are the prime minister and the defence minister unapologetic about the stand adopted by the Vice Admiral, but within a few days of Admiral Bhagwat's removal, the prime minister, on his visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, spent time at the house of Vice Admiral Harinder Singh and had a meal with his family.