 |
Defence Minister AK Antony on Tuesday blamed the Army for the row over its chief, General VK Singh's date of birth.
While maintaining that the government tried to resolve the controversy a number of times, the minister said it was the Army which sat over the dispute for over 30 years.
He stated that the dispute came before the government only in recent years, adding the controversy was not due to the government.
Responding to questions over the Army Chief suing the Union government in Supreme Court over the age controversy, Antony said that everyone has the right to question the government’s decision.
He however rejected claims that the row was becoming a civil-military confrontation.
Let’s wait for a few days or few weeks and let the Supreme Court take a decision.
Antony’s remarks came just days after the Defence Ministry wrote to the Army’s Adjutant General branch, asking it to correct Gen Singh's date of birth on its records as May 10, 1950 ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on February 3 and not a year later as contended by him.
In the letter, the Defence Ministry asked the AG branch to have May 10, 1950 as Army Chief's date of birth and sought a compliance report in this regard at the earliest possible.
While the AG’s branch has maintained Gen Singh’s date of birth as May 10, 1951, the Military Secretary’s branch records it as May 10, 1950.
