M A I N   N E W S

Govt awaits SC word on Army Chief’s age
Ajay Banerjee/TNS

New Delhi, January 18
Faced with a piquant situation over the Army Chief General VK Singh’s petition in the Supreme Court, the government has now decided to wait for the apex court to show the path instead of being pro-active. There are plans to tackle the issue, however, their implementation will depend on the stance taken by the court.

There would be no hurry in taking a decision to pre-empt the court, sources said. Plans to appoint a new Army Chief were shot down by a senior member of the Cabinet Committee on Security last night saying the Supreme Court could take umbrage at it and even point an accusatory finger that this was being done to circumvent court proceedings. The government thinking was largely affected by the outcome of the appointment of PJ Thomas as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). The apex court removed him mid-term, causing embarrassment to the government. In this case, the court’s stance would be vital.

The Army Chief’s petition could possibly come up for hearing in the Supreme Court on January 20. The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by the Prime Minister is slated to meet tomorrow. The government has also asked the National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and Defence Secretary Sashi Kant Sharma to talk to General VK Singh.

The sharp divide between General VK Singh and the government has been exposed further. In his petition, the Army Chief has said “the conduct of the respondent (the government) was affecting his reputation and the action on part of the respondent was affecting his image before the general public and the armed forces”. Copies of the petition are available through sources.

The petition also cites how the government had violated the Army Act, 1950, saying the Adjutant-General’s branch was the official branch for record keeping. He says the Military Secretary branch should have reconciled the record with the Adjutant-General’s branch.

An Army Chief “has a right to retire with dignity”, Gen VK Singh has pleaded even as he has accepted the government’s right to determine his tenure.

ROW Affecting My IMAGE: VK SINGH

• The conduct of the respondent (the government) is affecting his reputation and the action on part of the respondent is affecting his image before the general public and the armed forces.
• The Military Secretary’s branch should have reconciled the record with the Adjutant-General’s branch.
• He (the Army Chief) was seeking ‘harmonisation’ of record and not a correction.
• His predecessor General Deepak Kapoor had assured him (Gen VK Singh) that the matter would be settled.

Gen meets Defence Secy

Army Chief Gen VK Singh on Wednesday met Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma even as the government expressed unhappiness over the “unhealthy precedent” set by the head of the force by going to court. Gen VK Singh met Shashikant Sharma in the latter’s office for about 30 minutes but it was not clear as to what exactly transpired between them, sources said.