Fresh row over 2012 troops movement near Delhi; NSA says 'no distrust'

Patna/New Delhi: A fresh controversy has erupted over the movement of two Army units near Delhi in 2012 with the then DGMO Lt Gen A.K. Choudhary stating on day that there may have been 'distrust' between the Army and government on the issue then but rubbished talk of a coup threat.

"The possibility of a coup was unimaginable," he told reporters in Patna.

"There was misconception or there was perceptional difference or there may be distrust," Choudhary said, adding that the then Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma had asked him to send the troops back as the government at the highest level was 'worried' over its movement.

When asked about this, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon said there was no distrust between the Army and government.

"I don't see there is distrust. How can I comment on something that I don't see. Because I am a civilian, I work very closely with the Army everyday. I don't see that," he said in Delhi.

BJP voiced serious concern over Choudhary's remarks. Senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said though the government lacks trust deficit in all sectors, the distrust with the army was never comprehended.

"The distrust between the government and the army is a matter of serious concern. Army protects the nation and assures to protects its citizens. If this type of reports come, it is a matter of serious concern," he told reporters outside Parliament.

Choudhary said the movement of the troops was a 'normal' exercise and the government immediately 'understood' after he explained the matter to them.

"But before that either there was misconception... or may be distrust." Asked by reporters whether there was any confusion in the government then over the troop movement, he shot back, "You ask them (Government)".

Pressed further whether alarm bells had rung in the government over the issue, he said, "I won't say they were alarmed or not alarmed". He said there was daily interaction between the Government and the Army Headquarters and if at all there was any confusion then, they could have sought clarification in such meetings.

Choudhary said the government did get 'a little excited' which was 'uncalled for'.

"I was only thinking that if there were inputs of this nature they (government) had thought about they should have called us up and asked us for clarification. It would have finished at that point of time only."

When Sharma sought an explanation from him on the troop movement, he told him that this is a 'normal routine' exercise and 'you need not worry about it at all and they understood it'.

The then Army Chief Gen V.K. Singh, whose relations with the government soured over the controversy on his date of birth, said Choudhary's comments only confirmed the hand of a senior bureaucrat linked to a Chandigarh think tank in raking it up.

"It confirms who cooked up routine move to denigrate Army," he wrote on his twitter post.

The then DGMO said it would be wrong to link the troop movement with Gen Singh's decision to drag government to the Supreme Court over his date of birth row as such exercises are planned long in advance. He, however, felt the troop movement could have been avoided then as it coincided with the Gen Singh deciding to move the apex court.

"Such training exercises are planned in advance. It is wrong to link it with any particular date. It has nothing to do with him (Gen Singh) going to court," Choudhary said.

Singh had moved the apex court on January 16, 2012, which coincided with the movement of troop. Choudhary termed the exercise as 'very small', something which happens round the year.

"These exercises they keep on doing very often. Earlier also they have done, they don't ask me. These are normal, routine exercises with the formation's command. They don't inform us, it's not required," he said.

He parried questions as to whether the concern in the government had to do with reports of 'trust deficit' between Gen Singh and Defence Minister A.K. Antony and said such queries should be put to them. He, however, appeared to blame the government for the row, saying if they were worried then they should have asked the Army.

"I cannot say what was in there mind when they received the information. When they asked me the next day, I explained it to them and it ended there... You should ask them if they were confused or what caused it," he said.

Antony reiterated his earlier stand that it was a 'routine training incident', rejecting suggestions of a trust deficit between him and Gen Singh or any 'alarm' in the government over the troop movement. "You see you are still repeating the old questions," he told reporters in Delhi. 

Next - Govt should come out with truth on 'distrust' issue with army: BJP

Govt should come out with truth on 'distrust' issue with army: BJP

New Delhi: BJP on Friday termed as 'serious' comments by former DGMO Lt Gen A.K. Choudhary that there may have been 'distrust' between the Army and the government in connection with movement of troops near Delhi in 2012 and asked the government to come out with truth on the issue.

"The government should take the people of India into confidence and explain what exactly happened. It is a very sensitive matter concerning the military on one hand and the security of the country on the other. It is a very serious matter. I hope the government will clarify what is the truth," BJP leader M. Venakaih Naidu said at the party briefing.

BJP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad said "the distrust between the government and the army is a matter of serious concern. Army protects the nation and assures to protects its citizen. If this type of reports come, it is a matter of serious concern."

Choudhary's comments have triggered a fresh controversy over the movement of army units close to Delhi in 2012.

"There was misconception or there was perceptional difference or there may be distrust," Choudhary was quoted as saying by a newspaper today. He said the then Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma had asked him to send the troops back as the government at the highest level was 'worried' over this.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, "BJP is proud of the apolitical link of Indian Army. We are proud of its ethics and morals. Therefore, we would not like to comment on reports based on statements of somebody who has just retired because we believe in our armed forces".

Javadekar said he has been a member of the Parliamentary Committee on defence and has seen the armed forces in real sense for the last four years.

"Therefore, I can say that we should not make a sensational news out of something. I don't believe that Indian army has at anytime got politicised," he told reporters.