Arun Jaitley snubs Gen V K Singh, says appointment of Army chief final

Congress demands statement from PM, resignation of General V K Singh

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has distanced the BJP led NDA government from controversial tweets by former army chief General V K Singh challenging Army Chief designate Dalbir Singh Suhag's appointment. 

 

Seen as a direct snub to General V K Singh, Jaitley has said in Parliament," The appointment is final. We must keep Army appointments out of political realm".

Jaitley has also sought an explanation from the Defence Secretary on the ministry's affidavit in the Supreme Court as it has embarassed the govt. 

The Defence ministry has told the Supreme Court in a recent affidavit in a promotion case related to Lt Gen Ravi Dastane that the alleged lapses which were made as grounds to impose disciplinary ban on Suhag by General VK Singh were "premeditated", "vague" and "illegal".

 

Meanwhile the Congress has attempted to corner the government  and demanded an explanation from the PM on V K Singh's statements.

 

After the Defence ministry termed as "illegal" his decision to put a ban on promotion of Army Chief designate Dalbir Suhag, Gen (retd)V K Singh, now a Union Minister had justified his action.

 

"If unit kills innocents, does dacoity and then head of organization tries to protect them, should he not be blamed? Criminals should go free!!," he tweeted.

 

The former Army Chief's comments came against the backdrop of reports that a unit under Lt General Dalbir Suhag had allegedly carried out killings and daocities in the North East region.

 

Latching on to the affidavit, Congress spokesperson Abishek Singhvi sought the resignation of V K Singh, saying that the NDA government's affidavit in the Supreme Court on the issue of Army vice chief Dalbir Singh Suhag's promotion was an expression of "no confidence" in him.

 

Singh had a running battle with the UPA II government over a controversy on his date of birth.

 

Incidentally, he is the first minister whose resignation is sought by the Opposition since the BJP government was formed a fortnight ago.

 

The Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said it has adhered to its stand taken earlier on the issue related to imposition of Discipline and Vigilance(DV) ban on Suhag by Gen Singh.

 

In his other tweet, V K Singh asked," MOD affidavit same as it gave to AFT(Armed Forces Tribunal) under protective and conniving UPA, so what is new folks?"

 

In yet another tweet, he attacked Singhvi saying, "All who got carried away by Singhvi's tirade. "Chhaj to bole so bole who chhalni kya bole jismen1800 chhed" (pot calling the kettle black)."

 

Singh, who is a now Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region, External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs, had placed Suhag under a DV ban for an alleged botched up military intelligence operation by a unit under him.