Political outrage over Army chief General VK Singh's leaked letter, parties demand action

New Delhi:  The chief of the Indian Army, General VK Singh, may have skidded past the point of no-return on his collision course with the government. A letter from him to the Prime Minister, warning that India's security is at risk, has been leaked to the media. Many political parties have hinted that he is responsible for the leak.

Opposition parties in Parliament demanded that the government take action against whoever is responsible, expressing as much concern over the leak of the letter as its contents. General Singh is currently on tour in Kashmir and will return to Delhi tomorrow.  
In his letter, dated March 12, General VK Singh asks the Prime Minister to "pass suitable directions to enhance the preparedness of the Army". The chief describes the state of artillery, air defence, and infantry as "alarming." He writes the Army's tanks are "devoid of critical ammunition to defeat enemy tanks" and air defence is "97% obsolete."

Many blame the Army chief for the leak, suggesting that this is his latest attempt to embarrass the Defence Ministry. A series of leaders from opposition parties, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, said the Army chief should be removed for breaching confidentiality and compromising institutional integrity. (Read: Some leaders ask for Army chief's removal - 10 big facts)

In Parliament, Defence Minister AK Antony described the letter as "top-secret." He said publishing "secret communication within government cannot serve our national security". Politicians like Lalu Prasad Yadav blamed the chief and asked for his immediate removal. "He is acting like someone who wants to stand for elections...remove him" said Lalu Prasad Yadav. Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Shivanand Tewari of the Janta Dal (United) agreed. Arun Jaitley of the BJP pointed out that alleged lapses in the procurement of equipment, as highlighted by the Army chief, should be addressed urgently, though privately. "Responsibility will have to be fixed and action be taken, irrespective of the position they may hold in the defence forces or the civilian administration. And that assurance must be given, and that is what we want," said the Left's Sitaram Yechury.

The details of the Army's weaknesses and its chasm with the government are now part of the imagery on display for Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is in Delhi for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit that begins tomorrow. On Monday, the Army chief revealed that he had been offered a bribe of 14 crores to clear sub-standard trucks in 2010. The Defence Minister retorted yesterday that he had asked the chief to take action against the retired defence officer who offered him the kickback, but the Army chief had refused. (Read: Rs. 14 crore bribe offered to Army chief recorded on tape: Sources) General Singh will meet most likely with the CBI tomorrow to discuss the kickback.

Former Army chief Shankar Roy Chowdhury said that the government has been alerted repeatedly to the exigent need to upgrade the Army's resources. "This is not a new thing...it is occupying media space because of the leaks," he said. "Pakistan must be laughing... rest assured Pakistan knows about it, China knows about it," he added.

The Army chief is set to retire at the end of May. Many believe that this week's developments suggest he is hungry for revenge before he exits office. (Read: Months of acrimony for army chief and the government) 

For most of last year, the minister and the Army chief fought a long battle over General Singh's age. The government refused to accept that General Singh was born in 1951 and not 1950.  Records with the Army show both years, but the government said that documents used to establish his seniority and promotions declared 1950 as his year of birth and could not be amended. The Army chief took the unprecedented action of taking the government to court. But he dropped his petition after Supreme Court judges indicated they were unlikely to accept his arguments.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Months of acrimony for army chief and the government

New Delhi:  The furore over Army chief General VK Singh's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that has been leaked is just one among a series of incidents that have severely strained ties between the General and the government in this year.

Here is a timeline of the chain of events that has snowballed into an ugly confrontation between the two parties:

JANUARY 2012
This proved to be the near-climax of the simmering age row issue when General VK Singh dragged the government to the Supreme Court over his date of birth. He thus became the first serving Army chief to have taken this unprecedented step. The General contended that he was born in 1951 vis-a-vis 1950 which found mention in at least two Army records. He held his ID card, service record and promotion files to prove his stand. But the government though held that matters of promotion and seniority of General Singh were based on 1950 as his year of birth, citing two documents with the Military Secretary's branch.

The General had already applied to the Defence Ministry in December 2011 to accept his claim but without success. This was critical as it would decide when the General would retire - if the government had accepted his year of birth as 1951, he would get an additional 10 months to continue in office. General Singh is scheduled to retired in May this year.

The government tried its best to settle the matter outside courts but the row escalat6ed with several former Army officers backing the General's claim. The Centre too refused to budge as it worried that a change in stand would set an unhealthy precedent and affect its critical succession plan.

FEBRUARY 10, 2012

In the Supreme Court, it was Advantage Government as the judges indicated that they were not in favour of entertaining General Singh's petition. He withdrew it and was told to stick to the schedule and retire by May 31, 2012.

FEBRUARY 28, 2012

Having already suffered a setback in the court, there was further humiliation in store for General Singh as the government cancelled his two-day official trip to Israel. The Ministry of Defence cited "critical situation in the Middle East" and advised him to go towards the end of the year, knowing fully well that the he would have retired by then.

MARCH 25, 2012
The Defence Ministry again tried to sideline General Singh after it refused to consider his proposal in the appointment of a top military official to the post of Director General of Assam Rifles.

MARCH 26, 2012
The bribe bomb that General Singh dropped this week on the government is being seen as a direct fallout of this acrimony. He alleged that he was offered a Rs. 14 crore bribe in 2011 to clear a deal for substandard trucks by a retired Army Officer.

MARCH 27, 2012
In a further bid to corner the government, General Singh said that he had informed Defence Minister AK Antony about the bribery issue.

MARCH 28, 2012
The controversy was quickly followed by a confidential letter that General Singh had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on March 12 2012, detailing deficiencies in the military, which was leaked to the media.

The letter reveals highly-sensitive information including how the Indian Army's entire tank fleet does not have critical ammunition as also how its air defence is 97% obsolete. The letter also outlines how the Special Forces are short of essential weapons and the gaps in surveillance and night-fighting capabilities.
MPs cutting across party lines hit out at General Singh for the leak, even as the source of the letter still remains unconfirmed. 

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Army chief explains why he didn't file case after offer of 14-crore bribe

New Delhi:  The Army Chief has accepted that when a bribe was offered to him for 14 crores, he should have done more than just informing the Defence Minister. General V K Singh has said that he was offered the kickback in 2010 by a retired defence officer if he cleared a sub-standard consignment of trucks.

"I think it would have been better had I complained against him. The way it was said, I could not understand what he was saying," said General Singh, who claims the retired officer told him, "Everyone takes it, what is your problem?" General Singh has not named who offered him the money, or what company he represented.

In an interview to The Hindu newspaper, the General said that the offer was made to him six months after he took over as the Army chief. The Congress and the BJP have both asked why he did not file a police case against the alleged bribe giver. "It was not like he was giving me bribe in my hand. This was an indirect method and that is why no arrest was made," was the General's explanation.

The Defence Minister has reportedly ordered a CBI inquiry into the Rs. 14-crore bribe. The allegations have been seized by the opposition to attack the government in Parliament. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned, with the opposition demanding an explanation from the government. 

Earlier this month, amid a huge controversy over whether the Army's intelligence wing had bugged offices in the Defence Ministry, a press release from the Army blamed Tejinder Singh, who retired as a Lieutenant General, for trying to create a rift between the government and the Army chief. Tejinder Singh had also served as chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency. The Army chief said he had been interrogated earlier about purchasing off-the-air interceptors without required clearances. The Army's statement added that Tejinder Singh had offered bribes on behalf of a company named Tatra and Vetra, which supplies vehicles to the Army.

"I do not think VK Singh has said that I made or did not make this sort of offer," said Tejinder Singh to NDTV today. General Singh was allegedly offered the bribe to sanction the Army's purchase of a new consignment of vehicles from the same company. He also said that he would initiate "legal action against the people concerned".  

The retired officer who has denied the charges has also been allotted a flat in the Adarsh Society, a high-rise building in Mumbai whose apartments were intended for war veterans and widows, but were instead given to politicians, bureaucrats and defence officers. Tejinder Singh told NDTV that he met with the Army chief once after he retired, but said he would disclose the circumstances of that meeting later.

The government and the chief will now have to answer whether the company was blacklisted once the bribe was offered, and why it has taken so long to commission a formal inquiry.

Top Army sources have told NDTV that the man who allegedly offered the bribe to the army chief objected to the open tender for trucks because that could have hurt Tatra's monopoly.

But, the Defence Ministry today they haven't received any compliants against Tatra. "We have never received any complaint from the armed Forces," Joint Secretary (Land Systems) in the Defence Ministry Rashmi Verma said.

She was asked to comment on the performance of these trucks and whether the forces ever complained on their serviceability and availability of spares in light of Army chief's remarks. Ms Verma said that trucks now are bought on the basis of competitive bids.

The Congress today suggested that the Army chief's own actions were wanting. "If someone offered him a bribe, as a government servant, he should have filed a case against the person under the Prevention of Corruption Act," said the Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari.

The Congress-led coalition at the Centre has been entangled in a maze of financial scandals, with the opposition accusing it of serving as a "government of scams" and of creating an environment that lends itself to graft as the Standard Operating Procedure.

In January, General Singh became the first serving military chief to take the government to court. He wanted the Defence Ministry to accept that he was born in 1951 and not 1950 - records with the Army list both years. The Defence Ministry had refused the General's claim, stating that he had accepted many promotions on the basis of his seniority as established by the documents that showed he was born in 1950. The chief withdrew his petition in the Supreme Court after the judges, through their remarks, indicated they would not side with his claim. He is scheduled to retire at the end of May.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Details of who allegedly offered Rs 14-crore bribe to Army chief

New Delhi:  The Defence Minister has reportedly ordered a CBI inquiry into the Rs 14-crore bribe that the Army chief says he was offered in exchange for clearing the purchase of 600 sub-standard vehicles. General VK Singh said that in 2010, six months into his tenure, a retired Army officer offered him the money, and that he shared the information immediately with the Defence Minister AK Antony.
General Singh disclosed the details of the bribe in an interview with The Hindu newspaper.  The allegations have been seized by the Opposition to attack the government in Parliament. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned. The government is expected to make a statement later today on the controversy. The BJP, while seeking details from the government, also pointed out that the Army chief should have filed a case against the man who offered him the kickback. (Watch: Bribe charge - Army chief tells all)

Sources tell NDTV that the alleged bribe was offered by Tejinder Singh, who retired as a Lieutenant General and had served as a chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency.  He has also been allotted a flat in the Adarsh Society, a high-rise building in Mumbai whose apartments were intended for war veterans and widows, but were instead given to politicians, bureaucrats and defence officers.  Earlier this month, a press release by the army named him for offering bribes on behalf a company called Tatra Vetra. The retired officer has, according to some reports, denied the allegations and threatened a lawsuit.

The army chief was allegedly asked to sanction the army's purchase of a new consignment of vehicles from Tatra Vetra. The offer of the bribe was made to him in his office, say sources.

The government and the chief will now have to answer whether the company was blacklisted once the bribe was offered, and why it has taken so long to commission a formal inquiry.

The Congress today suggested that the Army chief's own actions were wanting. "If someone offered him a bribe, as a government servant, he should have filed a case against the person under the Prevention of Corruption Act," said the Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari.

The Congress-led coalition at the Centre has been entangled in a maze of financial scandals, with the opposition accusing it of serving as a "government of scams" and of creating an environment that lends itself to graft as the Standard Operating Procedure.

"He was offering a bribe to me, to the Army Chief. He told me that people had taken money before me and they will take money after me," the General said to the newspaper about the lobbyist.

In January, General Singh became the first serving military chief to take the government to court. He wanted the Defence Ministry to accept that he was born in 1951 and not 1950 - records with the army list both years. The Defence Ministry had refused the General's claim, stating that he had accepted many promotions on the basis of his seniority as established by the documents that showed he was born in 1950. The chief withdrew his petition in the Supreme Court after the judges through their remarks indicated they would not side with his claim. He is scheduled to retire at the end of May.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Kudankulam row: MDMK chief Vaiko arrested

Idinthakarai (Tamil Nadu):  The Tamil Nadu Police today arrested MDMK chief Vaiko who was heading to the Idinthakarai village - the epicentre of the anti-Kudankulam protests - to address villagers there. Around 350 people were arrested with Vaiko.

Around 5000 people had gathered at village today. Vaiko too had joined the protesters.

There are also reports that the police may arrest S P Udhayakumar, the activist who is spearheading the protests. The villagers who have gathered there want to court arrest along with Mr Udhayakumar.

They have even put up barricades to prevent entry by police.

The police had yesterday removed the check post blocking the entry into the village. They had allowed the entry of vehicles into the area which has been seeing heated protests over the nuclear plant.

Prohibitory orders, however, remain in force in areas around Kudankulam.

Mr Udhayakumar is facing charges of sedition and waging war against the country. He is on an indefinite hunger strike in Idinthakarai ever since Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa gave the go-ahead to begin work at the controversial plant earlier this week. Villagers who have been protesting along with him for the last seven months say that they too would court arrest with him. But the police allege that the activist is using the locals as a human shield to evade arrest.

The anti-nuclear campaigner, meanwhile, said they are all prepared to be arrested. "If police want to arrest us, let them arrest all of us here. All of us here are overstepping the law, so let them arrest all of us. It is not appropriate to arrest one or two of us. We are all prepared to be arrested."

"I have not stolen any public money. I have not done anything wrong to anybody... I am not a politician... why should I be arrested?" he added. The villagers too have said that they will not give up their non-violent campaign.

The check posts were removed after allegations that the police had stopped essential supplies like milk and drinking water from reaching the village. The Tamil Nadu police chief, however, denied these allegations.

The upcoming Kudankulam nuclear plant is within a radius of a kilometre from the village where regular work has resumed after the state government order. Nearly 300 scientists keep moving into the plant on regular shifts. According to V Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, the work will be completed within two months.

Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) came up for hearing in the Madras High Court against the prohibitory orders clamped in the area. The court will deliver its verdict on Monday.

The petition, filed by P Pugalenthi, an advocate and Director of Prisoners Rights Forum, contended that depriving the people of their fundamental right of free movement in the name of maintaining public peace and tranquillity was a violation of constitutional norms.

The petitioner sought an order to declare as null and void the prohibitory orders in force till April 2.

Dr Udhayakumar points to the recent Fukushima tragedy in Japan to bolster his argument that the Kudankulam plant is not safe for those who live in close proximity. He has struck a chord with the villagers and that has catapulted him to be the face of the anti-nuclear campaign in the area.

In September, the state Cabinet had passed a resolution demanding that the Prime Minister order a halt of operations at Kudankulam till those living in the area were convinced that they are not at risk

Dr Manmohan Singh then deputed experts and ministers to assess the plant and answer the questions of villagers. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had also commissioned her own panel of experts to study the plant. Her clearance for the project came right after an important by-election in the Tirunelveli district, where the plant is located. In an attempt to pacify the area, she announced a Rs. 500 crore package to improve roads and infrastructure in the area.

The nuclear power project, worth Rs. 13,000 crores and being set up with assistance from Russia, will upon completion have six reactors, making this will India's largest power-generating complex. A pair of two 1,000-megawatt reactors will kickstart production.

The protesters, mostly fishermen from three districts, are worried that the seaside plant may damage the ecosystem with nuclear waste and ruin their livelihoods.

The Prime Minister's recent remarks that protests against Kudankulam were possibly receiving foreign funding provoked much anger among NGOs.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Yeddyurappa, chief minister-in-waiting, hopes for good news from BJP today

New Delhi:  When BS Yeddyurappa was forced by his party to quit as Karnataka's Chief Minister, he picked V Sadananda Gowda to replace him.  The understanding was that Mr Gowda would serve as a seat-warmer, who would make way for his mentor as soon as Mr Yeddyurappa extricated himself from a series of corruption cases. Mr Yeddyurappa now wants his office back, but Mr Gowda has had a change of heart.
So both the current chief minister and the chief minister-in-waiting are now in Delhi to meet with their party leaders and convince them about their right to the top job in Karnataka, where the BJP's first term in power has been mangled by bitter political in-fighting.
Mr Gowda has met this morning with his party's most senior leaders - LK Advani, Rajnath Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi and finally, BJP president Nitin Gadkari.  "We are also going to place in detail the political scenario that is happening in Karnataka and we seek immediate interference by the Centre to see that everything is set right," said Mr Gowda,  known for his infectious smile.  
Mr Yeddyurappa, meanwhile, is holding a series of meetings with his loyalists.

Last night, Mr Gowda said in Bangalore before taking a chartered plane to Delhi that he had been promised by Mr Gadkari that there would be no change in leadership in Karnataka. But the BJP's quandary is a large one. If it sides with Mr Yeddyurappa, it will lose all moral ground in its anti-corruption campaign.  In Delhi, the party has been attacking the Congress for a series of scams.  Mr Advani conducted a rath-yatra last year to highlight the need for clean governance, and to suggest that the BJP can provide that. Mr Yeddyurappa was cleared of some corruption charges by a court last week; but he has other cases pending against him for handing public land to his family at huge discounts.  Last year, he spent nearly a month in jail.
This week, Mr Yeddyurappa has proved his might aggressively to his party.  A group of nearly 70 of the BJPs MLAs showed their allegiance to him by moving into a five-star resort on the outskirts of Bangalore, which was once owned by actor Sanjay Khan and hosted the wedding of his daughter to actor Hrithik Roshan. On Tuesday, Mr Yeddyurappa's supporters refused to report to work at the Karnataka Assembly for the budget session. After negotiations on Tuesday night with the party's central leadership, Mr Yeddyurappa and his large team showed up in the Assembly on Wednesday. That meant that the current chief minister could present his budget without the embarrassing absence of most of his MLAs.
However, that didn't end the BJP's troubles in the state where it is running its first government. In a critical by-election yesterday, the BJP lost the Lok Sabha seat from Udipi-Chikmagalur - the former constituency of Mr Gowda. The defeat is a victory in disguise for Mr Yeddyurappa who chose not to campaign there, allegedly because his party had reservations about the corruption cases against him, and whether that would affect voters.

The dispute between the current and former Chief Minister has caste overtones as well. Mr Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat, chose a Vokkaliga to replace him. Both are dominant communities in the state - and the BJP is in a bind now in case they have alienated the Lingayat vote bank. Would one time Yeddyurappa foe turned ally, Jagadish Shettar, another Lingayat, be a potential Chief Ministerial choice that would satisfy Mr Yeddyurappa if he is given the chair himself? And how would the Vokkaliga community react to a Chief Minister from their community being dumped on the demands of the volatile Mr Yeddyurappa? Elections to the state Assembly are due in 2013.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Akhilesh Yadav sworn in as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister; SP workers on bad behaviour

Lucknow:  New Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will be hoping hard this is not a portent. Barely had the 38-year-old been sworn in as  the state's youngest Chief Minister, that his biggest challenge was demonstrated by his party workers who shoved their way onto the stage and were seen climbing on sofas.

So shortly after being sworn in, the young SP leader assured the people of his state that his government "will not tolerate lawlessness and will tackle it with an iron hand." "Samajwadi Party will fulfill promises made in the manifesto. Law and order will be our responsibility from today," he said. During extensive campaigning in Uttar Pradesh during the recently held polls, Mr Yadav had vowed to cleanse his party of "goonda-giri" or hooliganism; he had also said
that his top priority would be to deliver law and order to a state besieged by crime.

Earlier in the day, Mr Yadav, dressed in white kurta pyjama and black sleeveless jacket and looking uncannily like his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, took oath at 11.34 am at the La Martiniere College grounds in Lucknow.  He firmly shook hands with Governor BL Joshi, and then, a picture of calm, reached into his left breast pocket for a pen, signed and waved to the hundreds of SP supporters who had gathered at the venue since early morning.
Nineteen Cabinet ministers and 29 ministers of state also took oath, among them the controversial independent MLA with criminal antecedents, Raghuraj Pratap Singh or Raja Bhaiyya, who expectedly thrown his lot with the SP. After taking over as the CM, Akhilesh defended Raja Bhaiyya, who has been a minister before in a Mulayam Singh government, and accused his predecessor Mayawati of filing false cases against him. "We all know how cases against Raja Bhaiyya were filed," he said.
"Organised corruption as happened in the previous regime never took place in the state. There were restrictions during the previous government and UP is now celebrating democracy," he added.

In the star-studded audience cheering Mr Yadav at the swearing-in ceremony were Sitaram Yechury, Biman Bose and industrialist Anil Ambani.

His unruly cadres are already proving to be the new UP Chief Minister's Achilles Heel. He has the advantage of having come to power with an unambiguous majority with 224 seats in the 403-seat UP Assembly. He scripted that Samajwadi Party win with a forward-looking agenda that has promised the people of UP freedom from goonda raj and good law and order, jobs and education, and good economics. He now has his task cut out - he has vowed to implement his election manifesto to the full.

Rival parties wager that law and order will deteriorate in a Samajwadi Party regime, as has happened before. Even before Akhilesh was sworn in, he has been called upon to explain violent conduct of SP workers in several places. He had so far pleaded that officials of the old dispensation were to blame. Now, having taken charge, he has to prove that those were not empty words.
Among other things he promised in that document were sops like laptops students who passed class 10, tablet computers to those who passed class 12, allowance to unemployed youths, free treatment to patients suffering from serious ailments and loan waivers for farmers.

Akhilesh will also have to take a call on constituting a commission for taking legal opinion on providing reservation to Muslims and implementing recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission and the Sachar Committee.

The SP leader has also said that rooting out corruption in the state is among his top priorities. And has promised to remove the ban on student politics in the state.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Akhilesh Yadav to be sworn in as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister today

Lucknow:  Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav is set to take oath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh today for the first time, after his party gained absolute majority by winning 224 seats in the 403-member Assembly.

38-year-old Akhilesh will be the state's youngest chief minister and his Cabinet is likely to be a mix of youth and experience.

He, however, will have his task cut out fulfilling the long list of promises made by his party in its poll manifesto.

Samajwadi Party had announced a slew of poll sops, including providing laptops to intermediate pass students, tablet computers to high-school pass outs, allowance to unemployed youths, free treatment to patients suffering from serious ailments and loan waivers for farmers.

Akhilesh will also have to take a call on constituting a commission for taking legal opinion on providing reservation to Muslims and implementing recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission and the Sachar Committee.

The SP leader has said improving law and order situation and rooting out corruption in the state are among his top priorities.

Besides, restoration of student unions in universities and colleges will also be a challenge for him.

Even before taking the reins of the state, the party is under attack from Opposition parties, including outgoing Chief Minister Mayawati, who has alleged that the law and order situation had deteriorated following declaration of poll results in favour of SP.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Vijay Bahaguna sworn in as new Uttarakhand Chief Minister after Harish Rawat rebels

Dehradun/New Delhi:  Vijay Bahuguna has been sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. It was a short ceremony on Tuesday evening, with only Mr Bahuguna taking oath. Getting his government together is likely to be less simple - in resolutely appointing Mr Bahuguna the Congress has ignored the loud rebellion of veteran leader Harish Rawat, who says he should be CM and claims he has the support of many Congress MLAs. Less than half of the Congress' 32 MLAs attended the ceremony in Dehradun.
Many of them were reportedly in Delhi with the sulking Mr Rawat, who has been looked over before by the party leadership, and has written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He is said to have threatened to quit the party. Mr Rawat scoffs at his party saying that not too many MLAs support him. "The Congress General Secretary said Harish Rawat has the support of just six MLAs...so if that were true how come only eight Congress MLAs attended the swearing-in ceremony? Where were the rest? My point has been proved," he said to NDTV on Tuesday evening.
Mr Bahuguna, whose problems seem to have only just begun, said before being sworn in, "This is a family matter and will be solved within the family...We will convince everyone...This party is like the Himalayas, it can't be broken."
The BJP clearly thinks differently. It got one seat less than the Congress' 32 in the state and still smells a chance; BJP leaders in the state say they will still form the government in Uttarakhand. Towards that objective, the party is happy to fuel the Congress fire. Sources say Harish Rawat has already met BJP chief Nitin Gadkari; if Mr Rawat quits the Congress, the BJP is said to not be averse to supporting a government led by him.
Both the BJP and Mr Rawat's camp have officially denied any meeting, but BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan said before Mr Bahugana was sworn in, "Bahuguna does not enjoy majority support among Congress MLAs. The Congress is breaching constitutional norms. If the Governor administers oath to Bahuguna, it will allow the Congress to indulge in horse trading to whip up support."
Here are the top 10 facts of this moment in this fast-developing story:
1) Harish Rawat, a veteran Congress leader from the hill state, has written a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi protesting against the "injustice meted out" to him. Mr Rawat contends that he should be the Chief Minister and says he has the support of a majority of the Congress's 32 MLAs. Mr Rawat is a Union Minister and he has reportedly asked Mrs Gandhi to relieve him of his ministerial duties if the party does not believe in him. There are reports that the sulking Mr Rawat might leave the Congress to form his own party along with the MLAs who support him.
2) Though Mr Rawat was a front-runner for the CM's post, the Congress picked Vijay Bahuguna for CM. Vijay Bahuguna is the brother of Rita Bahuguna Joshi, the Congress' president in neighbouring UP. Sources say though  Mr Rawat enjoys the support of many MLAs, the party leadership did not pick him for CM as he had put up many rebel candidates in these elections, which the Congress had expected to win comfortably, but did not.
3) Mr Rawat is in his home in Delhi right now. He says he has the firm support of at least 11 MLAs. With him at his house are 17 Uttarakhand MLAs. Rawat supporters have been raising slogans today demanding that the party leadership do a rethink on who should be CM.   
4) The Congress leadership has held an emergency meeting but has been firm that it will not change its mind. The message from Delhi is that Vijaya Bahuguna will be the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. For the Congress, it is not as easy as making problems vanish by picking Mr Rawat instead of Mr Bahuguna. Both of these local leaders and another one, Harak Singh Rawat, enjoy pockets of influence and the party will face problems whoever it picks.     
5) Harish Rawat did not attend the swearing-in ceremony in Dehradun. 24 MLAs stayed away too.
6) It is a numbers game in Uttarakhand. In the 70-seat House, neither of the two main parties got the 35 seats needed for simple majority. The Congress got 32 and has managed to stake claim with the support of seven others including three BSP MLAs and four Independents, who have made it clear that only Vijay Bahuguna is acceptable to them as CM.
7) The BJP is breathing down the Congress' neck with 31 seats. And still thinks it is in with a chance at forming the government in the state. "We have said from day one that BJP will form the government in Uttarakhand," said BJP leader Bhagat Singh Koshiyari today, from the sidelines of the Congress high drama.
8) The Congress announced that Mr Bahuguna would be CM after three days of deliberation, on Monday. The factional feud then came out in the open with Mr Rawat's supporters protesting against the announcement. Raising slogans, angry supporters of Mr Rawat gathered at his house here last night, wanted to know why he was ignored for the top slot and egged him to split the party.
9) This is the second time that Mr Rawat's claim has been ignored. About ten years ago, ND Tiwari was made the Chief Minister almost at the 11th hour by the party leadership.
10) In a bid to placate a sulking Mr Rawat, Mr Bahuguna, his sister and UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi met the union minister at his residence. Asked what transpired at the meeting with the brother-sister duo, Mr Rawat said, "They had come to console a loser".

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Vijay Bahuguna to be sworn in as Uttarakhand Chief Minister today; Harish Rawat quits

Dehradun:  Taking a firm stance, the Congress decided to go-ahead with the swearing-in ceremony of Vijay Bahuguna as the Uttarakhand Chief Minister today. Congress leader and union minister Harish Rawat has reportedly threatened to quit the party unless he is made the Chief Minister of the state. Anguished at Vijay Bahuguna being chosen as the Chief Minister, Mr Rawat has reportedly threatened to leave the Congress and take MLAs with him. He has reportedly claimed support of 11 MLAs. Sources say Mr Rawat, who is the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs, could form his own party in the state.

The swearing-in ceremony of Mr Bahuguna as the new Chief Minister is scheduled to be held at 5 pm today.  

According to sources, Mr Rawat has written a letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, saying, "he cannot execute his duties" as a Congress leader anymore unless he is made the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.

This was the second time that Mr Rawat's claim has been ignored as some ten years back ND Tiwari was made the Chief Minister almost at the 11th hour by the party leadership.

The Congress, however, attempted to play down the reported revolt by Mr Rawat and his MLAs in Uttarakhand.

"The decision was taken after taking the opinion of the majority. There may be some disappointment with the decision, but I am sure with time, all leaders and their supporters would back the decision," said union minister and Congress leader Ambika Soni.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had to settle with one seat less than the Congress' tally in the Uttarakhand elections, now is sniffing an opportunity and it seems it hasn't given up its hopes on forming the government in the state.

"We have said from day one that BJP will form the government in Uttarakhand," said BJP leader Bhagat Singh Koshiyari today.

Mr Bahuguna's name as Uttarakhand's new Chief Minister was announced by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in Delhi on Monday. The announcement of the Chief Minister came after a considerable delay with Congress leaders and MLAs caught in discussions for around three days after staking claim to form the government.

Mr Rawat and Mr Bahuguna had held a two-hour meeting with Mr Azad and Birender Singh ahead of the decision.The two central leaders had then submitted their report on the views of the party's 32 MLAs on legislative party leadership to Sonia Gandhi on Sunday.

"It was decided by the MLAs and all the party leaders that Vijay Bahuguna will be the chief minister," Mr Azad announced on Monday evening. He also recalled that the party MLAs had, in their meeting after the results were out, authorised Congress president Sonia Gandhi to name the chief minister.

Congress, with 32 seats in a house of 70, had staked its claim to form a government in the Himalayan state late last week after the results on March 6 threw up a hung assembly.

Yesterday, the factional feud came out in the open in Congress' Uttarakhand unit with legislators supporting Mr Rawat protesting the announcement of Mr Bahaguna as the Chief Minister. Raising slogans, angry supporters of Mr Rawat, who gathered at his house here last night, wanted to know why he was ignored for the top slot and egged him to split the party.

In a bid to placate a sulking Mr Rawat, Mr Bahuguna, his sister and UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi met the union minister at his residence. Asked what transpired at the meeting with the brother-sister duo, Rawat said, "They had come to console a loser".

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Ex-Congress chief from Mumbai Kripashankar's properties to be returned

Mumbai:  In what may be seen as partial relief for former chief of the Mumbai Congress Kripashankar Singh, the Supreme Court has stayed the attachment and seizure of his properties in a disproportionate assets case. The Supreme Court, however, refused to stay investigation against Mr Singh and his family members. The top court has said the FIR against them in a disproportionate assets case will remain.

He was raided by the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police on March 2 and his properties were attached. The Maharashtra government, the very next day, had withdrawn his security.

Mr Singh, who is alleged to have amassed assets worth over Rs. 300 crore, disproportionate to his known sources of income, had resigned from his post soon after the Bombay High Court ordered his prosecution for "criminal misconduct" under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In its February 22 order, the court had asked Mumbai Police to collect documentary evidence regarding all movable and immovable properties owned by Mr Singh and his family. The court had also ordered that the role of his family members be investigated. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by activist Sanjay Tiwari, who alleged that the Congress MLA had amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Speaking to NDTV in Mumbai earlier this month, Mr Singh said, "A PIL alone cannot be used as the basis for levelling charges against me. Allegations against me have wrecked my career."

"I am not guilty. I am not absconding. I have done nothing wrong. I will fight as per law," he asserted. "The media targeting me and my family is wrong. I do not own those many properties as are being shown," he said.

12 properties owned by Mr Singh and his family members were attached by the Mumbai Police on March 2. This after over 120 police personnel spread across the city and raided the premises. The attached properties include a duplex flat with terrace in Jupiter building in Vile Parle, Tarang bungalow, two flats, two offices and a plot in suburban Bandra, a shop at Bhandup and a shop and two flats including one he obtained through Chief Minister's quota in suburban Powai and a flat in Kurla. Only one of these properties in the metropolis is in the name of Mr Singh, the rest are owned by his wife, son, daughter and son-in-law.

During the searches, Mr Singh's two BMWs were also seized. The police also found 400 live cartridges at his residence "Tarang", located in upmarket Bandra. 

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Vijay Bahuguna to be new Uttarakhand Chief Minister

New Delhi/ Dehradun:  After nearly a week of deadlock, Uttarakhand will get a chief minister with the Congress naming its Tehri-Garhwal MP Vijay Bahuguna as the leader of its legislative party.

Bahuguna's name was announced by party leader and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi."It was decided by the MLAs and all the party leaders that Vijay Bahuguna will be the chief minister," Mr Azad announced.He also recalled that the party MLAs had, in their meeting after the results were out, authorised Congress president Sonia Gandhi to name the chief minister.

Congress, with 32 seats in a house of 70, had staked its claim to form a government in the Himalayan state late last week after the results on March 6 threw up a hung assembly.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has 31 seats in the Uttarakhand assembly. The Congress has won the support of three Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs, apart from three independents and the lone MLA from the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal.

"A decision has been taken that Vijay Bahuguna will be the leader of the legislature party in Uttarkhand and the new chief minister," Mr Azad said in the presence of Bahuguna and Congress general secretary Chaudhary Birender Singh, who is in charge of party affairs in Uttarakhand.

Soon after his name was declared for chief ministership, Mr Bahuguna, 65, thanked Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi and said, "I will take all sections of the party along and there will be no break up,"

Mr Bahuguna is the son of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna and brother of present Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Rita Bahuguna-Joshi. He is a vice president in the Uttarakhand Congress unit. An advocate by profession, He has served as a judge of the Allahabad and Bombay High Courts. He also served as the vice chairman of the Uttarakhand Planning Commission.

The decision comes a day after Union Minister from the state Harish Rawat and Bahuguna held a two-hour meeting with Azad and Birender Singh.The two central leaders had submitted their report on the views of the party's 32 MLAs on legislative party leadership to Sonia Gandhi Sunday.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Home boards should do more to crack down on fixing: Ex-ICC Chief

New Delhi: Former ICC President Ehsan Mani on Monday said that reports of match-fixing should be taken seriously and home boards should do more to crack down on fixing.

"Ultimately the responsibility for a player is that of his board and that's where I think the boards are letting themselves down," said Mani in an exclusive chat with NDTV.

"This cancer has spread and it's spread viciously and it needs to be dealt with, and the lead for this should be coming from the home board and not from the ICC. The ICC should be there to provide the overall framework but the work should be done by the individual board," added Mani.  

The game of cricket has once again come under the match-fixing cloud after a report in the 'Sunday Times' claimed that Indian bookmakers are fixing the results of England county games and international fixtures. (Also read: Match-fixing: Bookies using Bollywood honey traps to lure cricketers?)

Mani also said the ICC needs to work with law-enforcement agencies to curb match-fixing in the sport. He also suggested that legalising cricket betting could be looked at as an option to help curb fixing.

"Everyone looks at the illness and not the root cause of the illness, which are the bookies. There has been no action against the bookies. ICC should talk to these governments (countries where bookies operate) and bring some sort of control over the activities of these people.

"You cannot stab out illegal booking so how you bring it into this area where you can regulate their activities, because unless that happens it's going to be impossible to stop match-fixing," said Mani.

The Sunday Times' investigation has suggested that the bookmakers offer thousands of pounds to the players. About 44,000 pounds to batsmen for slow scoring, 50,000 pounds for bowlers who concede runs and 750,000 pounds for a player or official who can guarantee a match outcome.

The newspaper's report also alleged that corruption tainted last year's World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan.

The fixers claimed to have recruited players from countries, including England, using a Bollywood actress as a honeytrap.

A Delhi bookmaker has told the newspaper that county cricket "is a good market" as it involves "low-profile matches and nobody monitors them. That's why good money can be made there without any hassle".

The paper has passed on all the informations it gathered from its investigation to the ICC, who said it would investigate into these "serious allegations".

"We are grateful for the information you have provided and will launch an inquiry into these serious allegations.

"Betting on cricket in the legal and illegal markets continues to grow rapidly and, with many, many millions of dollars being bet on every match, the threat of corrupters seeking to influence the game has not gone away," an ICC spokesperson said.

Just a few weeks ago former Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield became the first English cricketer to be jailed for corruption after he admitted taking money to fix a match against Durham in September 2009.

Last year, three Pakistan players - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - were also jailed in Britain for 'spot-fixing' in a 2010 Test match against England.

(With Inputs from PTI)

View the original article here

Mamata Banerjee to attend swearing-in ceremonies of Punjab and UP chief ministers

Kolkata:  In what might be seen as a snub to the Congress, West Bengal Chief Minister and the UPA's most troublesome ally at the Centre, Mamata Banerjee, will attend the swearing-in ceremonies of the chief ministers of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Reports earlier on Saturday suggested that Mamata would decline the invitation from Akali Dal to attend Parkash Singh Badal's swearing in on March 14.
"Just learnt that Mamatadi will be going to both Lucknow & Chandigarh for the CM swearing in ceremonies (sic)," tweeted Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Derek O'Brien on Saturday night.
In Punjab, the Akalis have been voted back to power with their partner, the BJP.  The Congress had counted on winning the state. Ms Banerjee's presence at the ceremony next week will be seen as an indication of her increasingly warm relations with Congress rivals like Naveen Patnaik of Odisha. Ms Banerjee has been a loud voice in a campaign by Chief Ministers who say the Centre is a serial offender of the principles of federalism.
Before Mamata's u-turn on her decision to skip the Akali Dal's invitation, earlier on Saturday, in no small measure of relief for the Congress, she said "she is not a traitor" and has no plans to create the need for mid-term elections. Ms Banerjee's recent decisions have led to unhappy confrontations with the UPA, of which she is an indispensable member.
Meanwhile, Mr Badal's son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, has explained that his invite to Ms Banerjee has "nothing to do with wooing." "We have invited Chief Ministers from several states because of personal relations Mr Parkash Singh Badal shares with them," he added.
While Congress leader Rashid Alvi declined to comment on the invite extended to Ms Banerjee, Congress General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, who met Ms Banerjee on Saturday, sought to play down the matter, "Invitation extended to Mamata Banerjee for the swearing-in ceremony should not be seen as a political gesture," he said.
The BJP's Sushma Swaraj said after the recent state elections in Punjab and UP that mid-term polls are likely. Dinesh Trivedi, cabinet minister from Ms Banerjee's party, said this week that he believes his party may prefer mid-term polls to capitalize on the voter preference that gave Ms Banerjee a stunning verdict two years ago. He later said that was his personal view and Ms Banerjee has said in Kolkata that all MPs from her party have been alerted not to share private opinions.
The elections in Punjab and UP have demonstrated the political might of regional parties who their states identify with. Both national parties- the BJP and the Congress-were marginalised. In Punjab, the BJP won fewer seats than it had in the last state elections. It was saved by the strong numbers if its collaborator, the Akalis, with who it now returns to power.
For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook
View the original article here

In the mood for Akhilesh, Samajwadi Party agrees he will be chief minister of Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow:  As the votes for the Uttar Pradesh elections were being counted, Mulayam Singh Yadav's two young grand-daughters were asked who would be chief minister. "Daadu," they cooed, referring to Mulayam. The political instincts of the youngest generation of the Yadav family apparently need some fine-tuning.  
It is their father, 38-year-old Akhilesh, who will tomorrow be declared the head of the new government, sources have told NDTV. His father has established that his own political acumen remains top-grade - in a matter of three days, he has wooed a faction of the party that was opposed to a rookie as chief minister into consensus.
So Akhilesh's name reportedly will be proposed at a meeting of all its elected representatives to the Assembly by Azam Khan. Before Holi, Mr Khan was among those who reportedly did not share the enthusiasm of most other party members who said it was time for the younger Yadav to take charge. The swearing-in will most likely be on Monday. 
There were signs today of things to come - it was Akhilesh who addressed the press amid a continuum of acts of violence by his party workers in different parts of the state. "We will throw people out of the party if necessary to ensure that fair inquiries can be held," he said, with the authority of a leader with weighty mandate. "I've asked our workers to remain calm and polite even if members from other parties try to provoke or instigate them," he added.
The zero-tolerance for goonda-ism or hooliganism was emphasized by Akhilesh through his long campaign. Pedaling his party symbol, the cycle, he wheeled his party into a whopping 226 seats - the biggest total in two decades in UP for any political party. His youth helped testify for the change he promised - "Ummeed ki cycle" became his mantra. In a complete reversal of earlier agendas, he announced laptops for all college-going students. Three years ago, before the 2009 General Elections, the SP had said it was against the use of English and the use of computers. Voters seemed charmed by his sincerity - he would often hop off his cycle and talk to them for hours, spending as much time at these roadside chats as at the massive rallies that formally requested the people to vote for his father aka "netaji."
His ferocious share of the vote came at the cost of another young leader being projected as Generation Next. 41-year-old Rahul Gandhi took the responsibility for managing the Congress campaign. When the results were declared, he took the responsibility for a lost opportunity. Exhausted by the corruption and misadministration of Mayawati, UP sought a change in record numbers, its turnout through the different days of voting a healthy indicator of a state looking for an option. Despite Mr Gandhi's committed and energetic campaign, the Congress was dismissed as an unsuitable option, placing fourth. It added just six seats to the 22 it won in the last election.  
In his implausibly large victory, Akhilesh has shown humility. "Someone comes first, another person comes second," he said. His experience on the wrong side of the finish line is not inadequate. In 2007, his father was evicted from office by Mayawati, who merged UP's caste equations into a Perfect 10 formula. Then in 2009, Akhilesh's wife Dimple contested a by-election for the Lok Sabha from Ferozabad in UP - a seat her husband had won and vacated just five months earlier. The SP took the voters for granted; the Congress turned the election into a prestige point. Mr Gandhi led a pantheon of leaders to campaign for actor-politician Raj Babbar, a former Samajwadi party man. Embarrassed and bitter, Akhilesh had blamed Mr Gandhi for his wife's defeat.
The political maturity that has been visible during his campaign will be challenged by the state he leads. UP struggles with poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, unemployment, crime and corruption. While he deals with that dire agenda, his father is expected to push the party's fortunes in Delhi. In its alliance with Mamata Banerjee at the centre, the Congress is beginning to feel that it isn't getting a great bargain for the MPs she brings to the UPA coalition. Mulayam's renewed strength in UP makes him an attractive option. His numbers in UP will give him more Rajya Sabha seats, where the UPA is in a minority. With general elections scheduled for 2014, Mulayam is expected by his party to work on the bigger picture.
For Akhilesh, it is the details that will count. He has been handed his state; what he does with it could make history - good or bad.
For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook
View the original article here

Lieutenant General Zahirul Islam appointed new ISI chief

Islamabad:  Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has appointed Lieutenant General Zaheer ul Islam, Corps Commander Karachi, as new Director General Inter Services Intelligence.
Incumbent Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha will retire on March 18.
Reports suggest that General Pasha may be  to head the body that controls the Pakistan's nuclear arsenal after the end of his present assignment next month, according to a media report on Sunday.
The controversial ISI chief reached the age of retirement in 2010 and has been given two extensions. He is likely to be made the head of the Strategic Plans Division, which controls the nuclear arsenal. General Pasha has served as the director general of the ISI for three-and-half years. If Pasha is made the head of the Strategic Plans Division, he will replace Lt Gen (retired) Khalid Kidwai, who has led the organisation for over a decade.
Following General Pasha's alleged role in the scandal over a mysterious memo that had sought US help to prevent a possible military coup in Pakistan, it was reported he would not be given another extension.
For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook
View the original article here

Goa: Manohar Parrikar sworn in as Chief Minister

Panaji:  BJP leader Manohar Parrikar was sworn in for the third time as the Chief Minister of Goa.
Governor K Sankarnarayanan administered the oath amidst a huge public affair ceremony arranged by the party.
Riding high on the anti-incumbency wave in state, the BJP-led alliance, which includes Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party(MGP), drubbed the Congress by winning 24 of the 40 seats.
Mr Parrikar has been the chief minister twice from October 2000 to February 2005.
Mr Parrikar said yesterday that all the BJP ministers from his 2005 Cabinet would find place in the new dispensation, and that the Budget would be presented around March 24.
"There are five ministers who were in my old Cabinet. They will be sworn-in again," Mr Parrikar said.
Mr Parrikar has promised to make petrol cheaper by 11 rupees by removing the Value added tax (VAT) and set up a Lokayukta within 100 days.
On his Facebook page, Mr Parrikar has also said that an amount of Rs. 1000 will be credited in the bank accounts of housewives every month as a measure to combat price rise and undertaking other infrastructural developments in the state.
"The BJP-MGP alliance will start implementing the manifesto immediately but it would take little time to deliver," he said.
For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook
View the original article here

Manohar Parrikar sworn in as Goa Chief Minister

Panaji:  BJP's Manohar Parrikar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Goa today.
Mr Parrikar was sworn in by Governor K Sankarnarayanan in a huge public affair ceremony arranged by the party.
A full 12-member Cabinet was sworn in by the Governor. Mr Parrikar has been the chief minister twice from October 2000 to February 2005.
Mr Parrikar said yesterday that all the BJP ministers from his 2005 Cabinet would find place in the new dispensation, and that the Budget would be presented around March 24.
"There are five ministers who were in my old Cabinet. They will be sworn-in again," Mr Parrikar said.
Party sources said that along with Mr Parrikar, five ministers from BJP and two from ally Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) would also take oath today.
Mr Parrikar later told PTI that soon after the swearing-in, there will be a Cabinet meeting which will list out the priorities.
"I will hand over the list of priorities to the Chief Secretary after the Cabinet meeting," he said.
BJP-MGP alliance will start implementing the manifesto immediately but it would take little time to deliver, he said.
For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook
View the original article here

Lieutenant General Bikram Singh to be the next Army chief: Govt

New Delhi:  Ending the suspense, Government today announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Bikram Singh as the next Army Chief from May 31 to succeed General V K Singh.

59-year-old Lieutenant General Singh, the Eastern Army Commander, will head the 13-lakh strong force and have a tenure of just over two years till August 2014.

"Lieutenant General Singh has been designated as the next Chief of Army Staff, in the rank of General, with effect from the afternoon of 31 May 2012," Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said here.

"He will succeed the present COAS General V K Singh, who retires from the service on May 31," he added.

As per the normal practice, the appointment of Chiefs of Defence Services is announced 60 days in advance but in this case, the government made the announcement 90 days in advance.

"I am honoured and grateful to the government for having reposed confidence in me and having appointed me as the next Chief of Army Staff," said Lieutenant General Singh in a statement this evening.

Lieutenant General Bikram Singh was the senior most among the present Army Commanders but his appointment as the Chief of Army Staff had got caught in a suspense as General V K Singh was fighting out his date of birth battle that would have given him tenure till April next year.

There had been questions over Lieutenant General Bikram Singh in connection with an alleged fake encounter in Kashmir but the government went ahead to appoint him as the Army Chief.

General V K Singh, who had two dates of birth in his official records, had dragged the government to the Supreme Court, contending that he was born on May 10, 1951 and not a year earlier.

However, the top court refused to accept his contention, holding that he had taken promotions on the basis of May 10,1950 as his date of birth and could not "resile" on his commitment accepting that date.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here

Full text: Lieutenant General Bikram Singh to be the next Army chief, says govt

New Delhi:  The government has announced that Lt General Bikram Singh, the Eastern Army Commander, will be the next Army chief.

Here's a press release by the government of India:
 
The Eastern Army Commander, Lt Gen Bikram Singh, PVSM,UYSM,AVSM,SM,VSM,ADC has been designated as the next Chief of Army Staff, in the rank of General, with effect from the afternoon of 31 May 2012. He will succeed the present COAS, General VK Singh, PVSM,AVSM,YSM,ADC, who retires from the service on 31 May 2012.

Lt Gen Bikram Singh was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment on 31 March 1972.

During his long and distinguished career, spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of Command and Staff appointments. He has commanded a Corps in the Northern Command. The General had served as Deputy Force Commander of a multi-nation UN Peace Keeping Mission in Congo. He had also served as UN Observer in Nicaragua and El Salvador during the early 90s.

Lt Gen Bikram Singh has studied with distinction at the Defence Services Staff College, the Army War College and the US Army War College, Pennsylvania. He has also done M.Phil in Defence Management from the Indore University.

He is a recipient of PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM and VSM Awards. He is also one of the Honorary ADCs of the President of India.

He is married to Mrs Surjeet Kaur, housewife and the couple have two sons.

For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook

View the original article here