Govt hunts for Army Chief’s successor

Last Updated: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 10:11

Tags: Indian Army Chief, General VK Singh, Age row

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: Amid a looming court battle over Army Chief General VK Singh’s age issue, the UPA government has reportedly begun looking for his successor.

Sources said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has decided to take charge of the matter, after Gen Singh took the government to Supreme Court on Monday over the dispute on his date of birth.

The PM yesterday also met Defence Minister AK Antony, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon and several legal experts to discuss the matter. The government also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court yesterday, requesting to be heard before passing any order on the writ petition filed by Gen Singh challenging the Defence Ministry's decision not to accept his position that he was born in 1951.

Gen Singh, citing birth records, says he was born in 1951 and is not due to retire until March 2013.

But records at the Defence Ministry show he was born in 1950, which means that Gen Singh, who became Army Chief in March 2010, is due to retire in May this year.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharmam, who was on an official visit to Malaysia, was called back yesterday as the Defence Ministry readied for what could turn out to be a bitter legal battle.

Highly placed sources said the government is of the view that the Army Chief has taken the wrong step. Notwithstanding Army Chief’s contention that he has moved court to protect his honour and integrity, the government believes the move highlights a trust deficit between the head of the Army and the government.

It also sends a wrong signal internationally, believes the government.

According to sources, the government has begun sifting through a list of senior Army officers who could succeed Gen Singh. If the government announces his successor, Gen Singh may be forced to quit even before May 31 this year.

There were also reports that Gen Singh may be asked to proceed on leave pending the apex court's view on his petition. However, there was no confirmation of such a course from the Defence Ministry.

Further, a report said the Army Chief had written a letter to the Defence Minister minutes after he moved the court on Monday, explaining the reason behind the move.

Gen Singh is reported to have written in the letter that a pending public interest litigation, which would have proved “insidious”, forced him into the move.

The PIL, filed by an association of ex-servicemen, raises a lot of questions on several matters, including the succession issue.

First Published: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 09:56

Comments

jkraj46 - Chennai
Only the spineless will accept a date of birth as decided by someone else. Lets be realistic!

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prem ks - assam
Mr. Arjun, great Warrior by name but the smell about your unwanted attention against Gen. Singh has fragranced. I think you are much closed to Delta Kilo.

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Y Venkateshwarrao - Vadodara
The verification procedure of Indian officers and even soldiers are some how unfortunate. So an kind of verfication should start or learn for an new way of verfication before joining the Indian Army as officer.

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S K DAS - DELHI
The entire UPA govt should be told (by the SC) to permanently go on leave, as it has proved its inability to run a government and a large country like Bharat. The whole nation and the world are watching curiously. It is the pity and shame on the inept government being run by a coward PM. Dear PM, pls don`t play politics to serve some vested interests. It is a matter of honour and dishonour for us Bharatiyas.

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col sk mudgill retd - chandigarh
any move by the govt to force the army chief to procede on leave tentamounts to ignore his devotion and integrity to the nation and such tactics for sure dents the morale of the defence services.let the judiciary give the final verdict.which should be acceptable to govt and army chief.

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Padmanabh Shankar - Bangalore
Date of Birth dispute can threaten to turn into a serious embarasing conflagaroation where hordes of retired army personnel could go public as in the case of the Assocaition from Rohtak, the need of the hour is to nip the problem in the bud, and demands supreme statesmanship from the government. Danger lurks in the most unlikely corners, the pity is that UPA has not been able to think ahead of all possible scenarios. No time to waste.

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K S Grewal - Panchkula
The news item that the Army Chief may be asked to proceed on leave. This seems to be far fetched. As per leave rules (Def Services Regulation) leave is only granted if applied for. Sending on leave is civilian idea.

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Arjun Kapoor - India
stop this drama general! its a battle of an ego for you, not about your integrity and honour.

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Abhiman kapoor - Delhi
Let the Government say : ``See General, whenther you have born in 1950 or 1951 we have decided that you have born in 1950. We do not care when you are actually born. Truth is not the issue. Government`s convenience is the issue. King`s mistakes are not mistakes. Citizens can not fight the Kings. Anyway we no longer need you. We have no confidence in you. We are the Kings. You go. We have our favorites waiting there.

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Anshul - Panchkula
Watch your language Mr. Kapoor. You are speaking about COAS of Indian Army. COAS has been raising this issue for long and not now. He started raising it when he came to NDA. So check your facts before you speak. Army is an institution and had it not been for the loyal and brave Indian Army and its Chief`s, Pakistanis would have picked up your honour from your home. So better watch what you say.

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aaaaa - aaaa
kaapoor u wil never understand integrity and honour as one gotta possess one to to understand it.

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manohar - panchkula
Such a date of birth dispute at the fag end of service in totally un called for. If we go to the time of his recruitment he might not be elligible and has knowingly written wrong age or he may have superceded some one due to this higher age. if the date of birth was wrong he must have at an early time i.e.within atime frame of 2-3 years of his service carriar raised this issue in case not he himself is responsiblefor the lapse and he must not raise this issue at thi fag end of his service.