New Delhi: Army Chief Gen V K Singh`s letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the state of affairs in the service on Wednesday rocked the Rajya Sabha with opposition members forcing two adjournments during the Question Hour.
Soon after the House met for the day, the Opposition led by BJP wanted to know the contents of the letter and the government`s response to it.
"What action has the government taken?" senior BJP leader
M Venkaiah Naidu sought to know.
JD-U member Shivanand Tiwari demanded dismissal of the
Army Chief for "gross indiscipline".
"He should be removed from the post... The way he is
talking to the press... This is gross indiscipline. We demand
that he should be dismissed," he said.
Chairman Hamid Ansari`s repeated efforts to pacify the
members did not succeed as others in the Opposition from
CPI-M, Shiv Sena and Samajwadi Party also joined the chorus.
Defence Minister A K Antony then said, "Regarding the
letter of the Army Chief to the Prime Minister, which he (Army
Chief) said is a top secret letter, I am aware of the letter.
It should not have come out, government will respond to it
appropriately."
However, an unrelenting BJP insisted that the government
make clear its course of action on the issue.
As the din continued, Ansari adjourned the House for 15
minutes.
When the House re-assembled, Naidu and others from the
Opposition asked, "What is the follow-up action? What is the
content of the letter?"
Ansari`s attempt to proceed with the Question Hour again
did not succeed and he adjourned the House till noon.
PTI
