In a strongly worded open letter, retired Indian Army officer Major Prajakta Desai has publicly called out popular podcast host Raj Shamani for airing what she called a“highly misleading portrayal of the Indian Army.” Her remarks came in response to Shamani's latest podcast episode featuring Major Kavish Aggarwala (Retd), a former Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer of the Indian Army.

Posting on LinkedIn, Major Desai expressed“deep concern regarding the nature and potential impact” of the conversation, saying that the episode“risks damaging public confidence in an institution that represents discipline, sacrifice, and national unity.”

“The officer you hosted is known to have served as a JAG officer - a legal branch within the Army that primarily functions in headquarters and advisory roles,” Desai wrote.“Such officers, by the very nature of their appointments, do not undergo extensive field tenures or operational exposure.”

She further noted that while this is not a reflection of personal capability, it limits their firsthand understanding of operational realities or soldier hardships. According to Desai, allowing such a perspective to dominate a public platform“creates a misleading image of the Army and its functioning.”

“A risk to national perception and trust”

In her letter, Desai emphasized that statements made on a large platform like Raj Shamani's are“not received as one man's opinion; they are perceived as the voice of the Army itself.” She warned that such portrayals could have“unintended yet serious repercussions,” especially in an era where“perception management and information warfare are vital fronts of modern conflict.”

“Our adversaries actively exploit digital platforms to weaken public trust in our institutions,” she cautioned.“By giving space to unverified and negative assertions from a disgruntled officer, the episode risks being weaponized against national interests.”

Call for responsibility and balance

Major Desai urged Raj Shamani to exercise greater caution and responsibility when covering subjects related to national institutions, particularly the Armed Forces.“You are a respected content creator with a large and impressionable audience. With that influence comes an equal measure of responsibility,” she wrote.

She suggested that such discussions should be“balanced and informed,” ideally including“a counter-view from a field officer or a veteran who has actually led troops in active operations.”

While acknowledging that the Indian Army is“not beyond critique,” Desai underlined that such critique must“come from a place of integrity, context, and firsthand understanding.”

She also questioned the timing and intent behind Major Aggarwala's remarks, writing that if he had genuine concerns,“he had every opportunity to raise them during his tenure at senior headquarters.” Choosing to air them publicly years later, she said,“only undermines his own credibility while casting unnecessary aspersions on an organisation that cannot respond in kind due to its apolitical and disciplined nature.”

Concluding her letter, Desai reminded Shamani of the immense respect the Armed Forces command among Indian citizens and urged him to ensure that such trust is not eroded by“partially informed representations.”

“The Indian Army is not beyond critique but critique must come from a place of integrity, context and firsthand understanding,” she wrote.“Every uniformed person, serving or retired, carries the moral duty to protect the dignity of the force, even while advocating reform.”

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