Def secy says army movement was routine exercise -Governance Now

Def secy says army movement was routine exercise

Shashi Kant Sharma appears before Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence with facts

GN Bureau | April 9, 2012

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence on Monday expressed satisfaction and closed the issue of two Army units' movement mid January towards the capital, after Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma assured it that it was a "routine" exercise that did not require any permission.

Sharma, who had told the committee on the day the sensational report on a supposedly coup move had appeared that it was "exaggerated" and "loose talk", was asked to appear before it with full facts.

He assured the committee members that the report was wrong based on inferences and conjectures and no permission is required from the Defence Ministry for such regular exercises.

He also denied that he had summoned the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to explain the movements by a mechanised infantry unit from Hisar and a Para unit from Agra and assured the committee that there was no violation of the "Standing Operating Procedures" (SOP) since a routine drill does not require the government's permission.

The MPs on the committee shifted their focus on the leaked letter of Army Chief General V K Singh to the Prime Minister that the Army was not fully battle ready and urged the chairman to better invite the chiefs of all three Armed Forces to brief them on the preparedness for any eventuality and explain lacuna in the defence procurements.

Also present in the committee meeting was vice-chief of Army Staff Lt Gen SK Singh, but he was not pressed to state the Army's view point since the Army chief has already gone on record dubbing the Army movement report as baseless and fables of a sick mind.

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