Nothing will be brushed under the carpet: Gen Bikram Singh

New Delhi, Jun 1: In his first public comments after taking over as Army Chief, Gen

today made it clear that no controversy in the force will be "brushed under the carpet".

Sending a firm message to his 1.3 million force, Gen Singh said he will strive to maintain its "secular and apolitical" outlook. "Let us continue to be a secular and apolitical force and do our job the way it should be done," 59-year-old Singh told reporters after inspecting a guard of honour, a day after taking charge of the force from Gen VK Singh whose tenure was mired in controversies. He was asked to spell out his message to the army amid reports suggesting factional feuds at senior levels, a new low in civil military relationship and corruption allegations.

On allegations of a fake encounter in the northeast and recent clash between officers and jawans in Ladakh, Gen Singh said all these cases would be dealt as per the rule book and "nothing should be brushed under the carpet". "I think there was a letter by my Chief of Staff to 3 Corps to investigate those allegations and let me tell you that there is nothing which should be brushed under the carpet. I wish to assure you this," he said.

The Army Chief was asked to comment on allegations levelled by a major in letters to Chief of Army Staff, Eastern Command and 3 Corps Headquarters that a fake encounter was carried out by an intelligence unit under the 3 Corps in March 2010 in which three civilians were killed. Asked if he felt that Nagaland-based 3 Corps was trying to brush things under the carpet as suggested by his predecessor yesterday, he said, "I am not saying that. I did not say that.... I am not going to comment on my worthy predecessor."

Yesterday, Gen VK Singh had said he was alarmed that no investigation was carried out by the 3 Corps despite directions from the Army Headquarters into the allegations. Asked how he was planning to deal with the incidents of the clash between jawans and officers in Nyoma, alleged misconduct of jawans in UN mission in Congo and the allegations of fake encounter in Nagaland, he said, "All these cases will be dealt with as per the rulebook."

PTI