New Delhi: As the face-off between the Army Chief and the government continued, Congress on Thursday bluntly
told Gen V K Singh that its patience should not be viewed as
its weakness.
"It is a very senstive issue. The country is being
visited by leaders, including those from our neighbouring
country. There should be restraint and constraint. Our
patience should not be viewed as our weakness," Congress
spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury told reporters here.
She said since Gen Singh himself has stated that the
leakage of his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should
be considered as "high treason," then "scope of that will be
examined".
Chowdhury said her father is an ex-serviceman who has
always maintained that honour of the nation and integrity of
the Army was more important than "indulging oneself".
Asserting that no one would compromise on the defence
preparedness of the nation, she suggested that anyone pointing
fingers at the defence ministry did not only doubt the
integrity of the government but integrity of Parliament too.
Seeking to dismiss certain charges made by the Army
chief, she said, "It is ridiculous to suggest that every nut
and bolt is procured by the ministry. Army is autonomous at
many levels and when big bucks comes into play, the ministry
comes in.
"If you are going to go to the media, then there seems to
be a larger picture. We do not discuss (publicly) what we
discuss with the defence minister. Then it evokes a response,"
she said.
Chowdhury said she was sure that Gen Singh, who rose to
the level of the Army Chief, was "aware of the scope of his
jurisprudence".
PTI
