NDTV Correspondent,
Updated: March 28, 2012 14:13 IST
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/in-letter-to-pm-army-chief-warns-indias-security-is-in-danger-190847&cp
New Delhi: A letter from the Army
chief to the Prime Minister, warning that India's security is at risk, has
stirred Parliament with Opposition parties expressing as much concern over the
letter being leaked to the media as its contents.
Defence Minister AK Antony described the letter, dated March 12, as "top-secret" and said, "I wish to assure the House and through it, the nation that the government is determined to do all that is necessary to ensure the security ofIndia
In his letter, General VK Singh asked the Prime Minister to "pass suitable directions to enhance the preparedness of the Army". The chief described the state of artillery, air defence, and infantry as "alarming." He writes the Army's tanks are "devoid of critical ammunition to defeat enemy tanks" and air defence is "97% obsolete." General Singh wrote to the Prime Minister after sending a similar letter a few weeks earlier directly to the Defence Minister.
Opposition leaders shared their concern about matters of national security being leaked to the media. "I agree we will all have to exercise restraint and not make this a public acrimonious debate," said the BJP's Arun Jaitley. Many Opposition leaders, like Sitaram Yechury of the Left, said the person responsible for the leak must be identified and punished. "Responsibility will have to be fixed and action be taken, irrespective of the position they may hold in the defence forces or the civilian administration. And that assurance must be given, and that is what we want," he said.
Over the last year, military analysts and the opposition have repeatedly reprimanded the government and the army for public displays of their difference.
General Singh and Mr Antony are already in the midst of a public war after the chief disclosed on Monday that he was offered a 14-crore bribe in 2010 to clear 600 substandard trucks for the army. Mr Antony responded yesterday that after the general shared this information with him, the minister had urged him to take action, and the Army chief refused.
For most of last year, the minister and the Army chief fought a long battle over General Singh's age. The government refused to accept that General Singh was born in 1951 and not 1950. Records with the army show both years, but the government said that documents used to establish his seniority and promotions declared 1950 as his year of birth and could not be amended. The Army chief took the unprecedented action of taking the government to court. But he dropped his petition after Supreme Court judges indicated they were unlikely to accept his arguments.
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/in-letter-to-pm-army-chief-warns-indias-security-is-in-danger-190847&cp
Defence Minister AK Antony described the letter, dated March 12, as "top-secret" and said, "I wish to assure the House and through it, the nation that the government is determined to do all that is necessary to ensure the security of
In his letter, General VK Singh asked the Prime Minister to "pass suitable directions to enhance the preparedness of the Army". The chief described the state of artillery, air defence, and infantry as "alarming." He writes the Army's tanks are "devoid of critical ammunition to defeat enemy tanks" and air defence is "97% obsolete." General Singh wrote to the Prime Minister after sending a similar letter a few weeks earlier directly to the Defence Minister.
Opposition leaders shared their concern about matters of national security being leaked to the media. "I agree we will all have to exercise restraint and not make this a public acrimonious debate," said the BJP's Arun Jaitley. Many Opposition leaders, like Sitaram Yechury of the Left, said the person responsible for the leak must be identified and punished. "Responsibility will have to be fixed and action be taken, irrespective of the position they may hold in the defence forces or the civilian administration. And that assurance must be given, and that is what we want," he said.
Over the last year, military analysts and the opposition have repeatedly reprimanded the government and the army for public displays of their difference.
General Singh and Mr Antony are already in the midst of a public war after the chief disclosed on Monday that he was offered a 14-crore bribe in 2010 to clear 600 substandard trucks for the army. Mr Antony responded yesterday that after the general shared this information with him, the minister had urged him to take action, and the Army chief refused.
For most of last year, the minister and the Army chief fought a long battle over General Singh's age. The government refused to accept that General Singh was born in 1951 and not 1950. Records with the army show both years, but the government said that documents used to establish his seniority and promotions declared 1950 as his year of birth and could not be amended. The Army chief took the unprecedented action of taking the government to court. But he dropped his petition after Supreme Court judges indicated they were unlikely to accept his arguments.
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