New Delhi, February 21
Defence Minister AK Antony today downplayed news reports regarding the movement of two Army units in January 2012 which reportedly had the Defence Secretary calling in the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) in the dead of the night to explain the movement.

Speaking outside Parliament, Antony reiterated what he said on the movement of the Army units near Delhi in January 2012. It was "a routine training programme".

The movement had taken place a night before the then Army Chief General VK Singh had moved the Supreme Court over his date of birth (DoB) dispute with the Ministry of Defence.

Answering queries on the troop movement following an interview of former Director General of Military Operations Lt General AK Choudhary in which he said he was summoned by the then Defence Secretary on the issue, Antony said it was a routine exercise.

"It was a routine training programme. Nothing wrong in it," Antony told reporters adding that he had answered the question thrice in Parliament earlier — twice in Rajya Sabha and once in Lok Sabha. He said, “The then Defence Secretary (Shashi Kant Sharma) also gave the same answer to the Parliamentary Standing Committee.”

Earlier Lt General Choudhary, who has retired from service, told reporters in Patna that he was asked by the government about the troop movement and he had told them it was "a normal training event".

Asked if the government was alarmed over the troop movement as he had been called by the then Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, Choudhary said he couldn't say if those in the government were "alarmed or not". "I explained and the issue was understood by them. I was called to the Defence Secretary's office at 11 pm on January 16. They asked for a clarification which I gave. They took the (troop movement) seriously," General Choudhary said in Patna.

A newspaper report had reported that the government was "spooked" on the night of January 16-17, 2012 because central intelligence agencies had reported that military units from Hisar and Agra had moved in the direction of the capital.