NEW DELHI - Notwithstanding objections by BJP, the Indian Defense Ministry is going ahead with the process of appointing the new Army Chief and has recommended the name of Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag to the Prime Minister’s Office. The recommendation of the Defense Ministry will have to be approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet,
headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, official sources said on April 20. As per tradition, the government announces the name of services chiefs-designate two months before the retirement of the incumbent. Sticking to that, it is expected to announce the name of the new Army Chief by May 1, three months prior to the date of retirement of Gen Bikram Singh. The appointment of incumbent Chief Gen Singh was also done three months prior to the retirement of his predecessor Gen V K Singh, who had a turbulent relationship with the Defense Ministry and even dragged the government to the Supreme Court over his age controversy. The Defense Ministry has taken the step even though opposition BJP has said the outgoing government should not appoint the new Army Chief and should leave it to the next government that is expected to take over towards the end of next month. The party has even petitioned the Election Commission to halt the process. Significantly, during the last days of his tenure as Army Chief, V K Singh had put a ‘discipline and vigilance ban’ on Lt Gen Dalbir Suhag, then 3 Corps Commander, for the “failure of command and control” as an intelligence unit under him had allegedly carried out dacoity in Jorhat in Assam outside the jurisdiction of the Corps. (PTI)
RSS Feed
