Defence Secy to face Parl Committee on Ind Army preparedness

New Delhi, Apr 9: After the Indian Express’ exposed the Indian Army’s unnotified move towards Delhi on Jan 16 spooking the Defence ministry and the government; the Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma will have to reply to the ‘spook story’ before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence to give clarity on the issue.

Sharma will reportedly be quizzed on the controversial movement of two military units of the Indian Army on Jan 16 and also on the stunning claims made by the Army chief Gen VK Singh on the lack of army preparedness in the event of war. The Parliamentary Standing Committee will probe into all these in much detail. [Read: Army has ammunition only for 10 days in war situation!]

Along with Sharma who will depose before the committee, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff will also be expected to depose before the Parliamentary panel. Gen VK Singh, however, will be exempted from doing so.

Gen Singh had stirred a hornet’s nest when the letter written by him to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was leaked to the media that exposed the country’s defence preparedness and the present state of the Indian Army. The Defence ministry will also give a detailed explanation on the Indian Express report on the unauthorized troop movement on Jan 16 that created a furore in government circles and sparking off an army coup rumour.

The expected Standing Committee will be the second such instance where they will meet on the army row. The first meeting was held after the Indian Express expose on unauthorized troop movement. Gen Singh had called the report “baseless and defaming”.

OneIndia News