BJP not for Gen Singh sack but faults him on discipline issue
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BJP on Wednesday said it did not support ally JD(U) demand for Army Chief Gen V K Singh's dismissal over his leaked letter to Prime Minister on national security but faulted the General for 'breach of discipline'.
The principal opposition party also raised a question as to why the 'integrity agreement' between the Defence ministry and the Army was not working.
Asked about BJP's view on the demand of ally JD(U) for Gen Singh's dismissal, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said "we do not share the view that he should be sacked."
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said the contents of the Army Chief's letter are scary. "When the common man reads that the defence forces have no ammunition and cannot defend the country he finds it scary," Swaraj told reporters.
BJP was equally critical of the Army Chief for not pursuing the bribe offer case and writing a letter to the Prime Minister on the state of affairs in the Army as well as Defence Minister A. K. Antony for not handling these issues- including the need for modernisation with deftness.
"The decision to write a letter is always fraught with the possibility, even if one per cent, that it may be leaked at some point in time," Swaraj said, criticising the army chief.
She also wondered why Gen Singh had not immediately got the officer, who offered him Rs 14 crore bribe, arrested.
BJP is also of the opinion that writing such a letter to the PM is a 'breach of discipline'. It expressed its ire at the differences between the ministry and the army.
"It is very evident that while the armed forces are within civilian control and that ought to be, the equilibrium between them remains disturbed," Prasad said.
He claimed that to deal with such issues, deft political management and statecraft is required, "which this government appears to be lacking".
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