New Delhi, April 16
After Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal flagged the issue of the illegal occupation of Shimla’s Annandale ground by defence forces, Army Chief General VK Singh said he would speak to the CM to resolve the matter.

To further soothe frayed nerves in Shimla, the Army ordered a probe into the Press statement issued by the Western Command, wherein it had stated that the Himachal Chief Minister was acting under the pressure of forest mafia to divert a ground of strategic importance for “games and gimmick”.

PK Dhumal took strong objection to the statement again today and stuck to his stand of filing a defamation suit against the Army in case an unconditional apology was not tendered.

General VK Singh said he had already asked the Western Command Headquarters for a report on the Press statement issued by it. "They have told us they will rectify it and we have no problem with that,” the Army Chief said, adding, “I will talk to the CM (Dhumal).”

The Army Chief’s statement was followed by a formal order of an inquiry into the objectionable Press note. “With regards to Annandale land issues, the Army has instituted an inquiry into the press release issued by the HQ Western Command, which was derogatory against the state government and Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh,” the Army said late in the evening.

Earlier in the day, Dhumal took up the issue with the PM and also at the meeting on internal security where he said the Army was in illegal occupation of the 121-bigha Annandale ground since the Second World War and continues to hold control even after the lease has expired. The evacuate-Annandale movement is being led in Himachal by Dhumal’s MP-son Anurag Thakur.

Arriving for the meeting at Vigyan Bhavan today, Dhumal took up the Annandale ground issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also said he would meet the Defence Minister over the concern. Dhumal today insisted for an apology from the Army and said the allegations leveled were without basis. “Let them face the results of what they said,” he said.