NDTV Correspondent,
Updated: March 29, 2012 15:01 IST
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/wont-have-blood-on-my-hands-said-antony-on-action-against-army-chief-sources-191450&cp
New Delhi : In an attempt to lower the pitch of the
high-volume battle between the Army Chief and the government, Defence Minister AK Antony
"This is an outrage! Official communication with the PM, RM (Raksha Mantri) or anybody for that matter with the COAS (Chief of Army Staff) is privileged information. The leaking of the letter should be treated as high treason. This cynical approach to tar my reputation has to stop. The source of the leak has to be found and dealt with ruthlessly," said the Army Chief today via a mailed statement.
Since yesterday, when that letter burst onto the national landscape, leaders of some parties have held the chief responsible and said that he should be dismissed. Other parties like the Left have said that the mole must be identified and punished. Mr Antony has described the leak as a breach of national security - the general's note warns the PM that the country's safety is at risk because his troops are saddled with obsolete equipment. The Defence Minister has not blamed anyone for the leak, and said today that the Intelligence Bureau will investigate the matter.
Emboldened by the opposition's agreement about the damage caused by the leak, sources say that Mr Antony's colleagues and senior Congress leaders pressed for action against General Singh. However, the defence minister allegedly refused this, saying, according to sources, "Won't have blood on my hands."
The leak is one of three controversies that have erupted this week, all of them pitting General Singh against the government. First, he disclosed that he had told the Defence Minister in 2010 that he had been offered 14 crores as a bribe if he agreed to clear "sub-standard" trucks for the army. The minister clarified in parliament that he had asked the General to take action, but the army chief refused. Then, came the leak of General Singh's letter to the PM.
Finally, yesterday, the chief requested the CBI to investigate a serving officer, Lt General Dalbir Singh Suhag, for alleged corruption.
The officer is second in line to replace General Singh when he retires at the end of May. Sources say the government believes General Singh has breached protocol by writing directly to the CBI; the government allegedly also sees this as the latest in a series of measured attacks against the government.
The Defence Ministry and Army Chief have spent the last year in well-chronicled battle, mainly over General Singh's claim that he was born in 1951 and not 1950. The government refused to accept this. Amending the army chief's records could have impacted when he would retire. He will now step down at the end of May.
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/wont-have-blood-on-my-hands-said-antony-on-action-against-army-chief-sources-191450&cp
"This is an outrage! Official communication with the PM, RM (Raksha Mantri) or anybody for that matter with the COAS (Chief of Army Staff) is privileged information. The leaking of the letter should be treated as high treason. This cynical approach to tar my reputation has to stop. The source of the leak has to be found and dealt with ruthlessly," said the Army Chief today via a mailed statement.
Since yesterday, when that letter burst onto the national landscape, leaders of some parties have held the chief responsible and said that he should be dismissed. Other parties like the Left have said that the mole must be identified and punished. Mr Antony has described the leak as a breach of national security - the general's note warns the PM that the country's safety is at risk because his troops are saddled with obsolete equipment. The Defence Minister has not blamed anyone for the leak, and said today that the Intelligence Bureau will investigate the matter.
Emboldened by the opposition's agreement about the damage caused by the leak, sources say that Mr Antony's colleagues and senior Congress leaders pressed for action against General Singh. However, the defence minister allegedly refused this, saying, according to sources, "Won't have blood on my hands."
The leak is one of three controversies that have erupted this week, all of them pitting General Singh against the government. First, he disclosed that he had told the Defence Minister in 2010 that he had been offered 14 crores as a bribe if he agreed to clear "sub-standard" trucks for the army. The minister clarified in parliament that he had asked the General to take action, but the army chief refused. Then, came the leak of General Singh's letter to the PM.
Finally, yesterday, the chief requested the CBI to investigate a serving officer, Lt General Dalbir Singh Suhag, for alleged corruption.
The officer is second in line to replace General Singh when he retires at the end of May. Sources say the government believes General Singh has breached protocol by writing directly to the CBI; the government allegedly also sees this as the latest in a series of measured attacks against the government.
The Defence Ministry and Army Chief have spent the last year in well-chronicled battle, mainly over General Singh's claim that he was born in 1951 and not 1950. The government refused to accept this. Amending the army chief's records could have impacted when he would retire. He will now step down at the end of May.
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