New Delhi: A new controversy has emerged after Indian Ambassador to Oman, Amit Narang, was photographed wearing a military uniform during the closing ceremony of the fifth edition of the India-Oman joint military exercise, Al Najah. The photos, which surfaced online, have ignited a heated discussion on social media.The ceremony, held on Thursday at the Rabkoot Training Area in Salalah, Oman, marked the conclusion of the joint military drills. The Indian Army shared several images from the event, including those featuring Narang, who was seen in military attire. The Indian envoy attended the ceremony alongside several high-ranking dignitaries, both from India and Oman.Dignitaries who were present at the ceremonyApart from Amit Narang, Indian Defence Attache to Oman, Captain Harish Srinivasan, was also in attendance. From the Omani side, Brigadier General Abdulkadhim Bin Ibrahim Al-Ajmi, Commander of the 11th Infantry Brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel Masood Mubarak Al-Ghafri, Commanding Officer of the Frontier Force, were notable participants at the event.Social media backlash over uniformFollowing the release of the photos, social media reactions were swift, with one user questioning the appropriateness of Narang wearing a military uniform. The user speculated whether this was part of a new protocol or merely a gimmick for a photo opportunity. The tweet also drew parallels to a recent incident involving an alleged assault on an Army official and her fiancé at a police station in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.The tweet read, The uniform donned by Shri Amit Narang was supplied by you, @adgpi Is this some new protocol or just another gimmick for a photo op Recently, veterans bemoaned the degrading civil-military relations after the Bharatpur incident. Is this how we plan to improve itExercise #AlNajah 2024The closing ceremony of the 5th edition of Exercise #AlNajah 2024 between #India and #Oman, was conducted at Rabkoot Training Area, Salalah, #Oman on 26 September 2024.Closing ceremony was attended by Shri Amit Narang, Ambassador of #India to #Oman and… pic.twitter.com/MCcOESHENc— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) September 27, 2024Who is Amit NarangAmit Narang has been serving as Indias Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman since October 24, 2021. He joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 2001 and began his career at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the External Publicity Division, dealing with both Indian and foreign media.Narang is a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy. Before his current role, he headed the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Division in the MEA, managing Indias relationships with key maritime neighbors. He has also served as the Chief Vigilance Officer at the MEA and was responsible for overseeing Indias consular and visa policies, particularly those focused on the welfare of the overseas Indian diaspora.
