General Singh Takes Govt to court on Age Issue
Times Of India
New Delhi: In an unprecedented move, Army Chief Gen V K Singh today moved the Supreme Court against the government's rejection of his claim on his date of birth. In writ petition, he is believed to have questioned the government's decision to treat his date of birth as May 10,1950 instead of May 10,1951 as claimed by him on the basis of his matriculation certificate and other documents. This is the first time that any Service chief has dragged the government to the court of law.
The petition has been filed and senior advocate U U Lalit will represent Gen Singh before the apex court. Interestingly, at a press conference on Friday last, the Army Chief had kept his options open on the issue without disclosing the strategy. Asked if he was contemplating resignation, he had said, "Please leave it to my judgement what do I want to do. It is an issue that concerns me. Let me decide on some action after I get time to think about myself."
Queried if he was not ruling out resignation, he said "let me find time time to think about myself." Gen Singh, who took over as the Army Chief on March 31, 2010, has been maintaining that the issue related to his "integrity and honour". He had said that he tackled the issue in "organisational interest". A para-commando and veteran of 1971 Indo-Pak war succeeded Gen Deepak Kapoor. Antony, while rejecting Gen Singh's statutory representation, had sent a letter to him expressing full confidence in his leadership.
Home Minister P Chidambaram, a member of the Appointments Committee of Cabinet, last week told a press conference that the age issue of Gen Singh had been dealt with "fairly and justly". "We hold the Army Chief in great respect. He is a fine soldier. He has done remarkable service to the country. We are unhappy that the controversy should have erupted but I am hopeful that that controversy will be resolved," Chidambaram had said.
Congress Reaction
Congress today downplayed Army Chief Gen V K Singh's action to move the Supreme Court against the government rejecting his claim on his date of birth. "It is a matter between the person who has gone to the court and the court," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters who sought his reaction to the unprecedented development. In his writ petition, Gen Singh is believed to have questioned the government's decision to treat his date of birth as May 10,1950 instead of May 10,1951 as claimed by him on the basis of his matriculation certificate and other documents.
The petition has been filed and senior advocate U U Lalit will represent Gen Singh before the apex court. Interestingly, at a press conference on Friday last, the Army Chief had kept his options open on the issue without disclosing the strategy. Asked if he was contemplating resignation, he had said, "Please leave it to my judgement what do I want to do. It is an issue that concerns me. Let me decide on some action after I get time to think about myself."
Queried if he was not ruling out resignation, he said "let me find time time to think about myself." Gen Singh, who took over as the Army Chief on March 31, 2010, has been maintaining that the issue related to his "integrity and honour". He had said that he tackled the issue in "organisational interest". A para-commando and veteran of 1971 Indo-Pak war succeeded Gen Deepak Kapoor. Antony, while rejecting Gen Singh's statutory representation, had sent a letter to him expressing full confidence in his leadership.
Home Minister P Chidambaram, a member of the Appointments Committee of Cabinet, last week told a press conference that the age issue of Gen Singh had been dealt with "fairly and justly". "We hold the Army Chief in great respect. He is a fine soldier. He has done remarkable service to the country. We are unhappy that the controversy should have erupted but I am hopeful that that controversy will be resolved," Chidambaram had said.
Congress Reaction
Congress today downplayed Army Chief Gen V K Singh's action to move the Supreme Court against the government rejecting his claim on his date of birth. "It is a matter between the person who has gone to the court and the court," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters who sought his reaction to the unprecedented development. In his writ petition, Gen Singh is believed to have questioned the government's decision to treat his date of birth as May 10,1950 instead of May 10,1951 as claimed by him on the basis of his matriculation certificate and other documents.
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