Disclose how army chief's letter was leaked: BJP to govt

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday asked the government to disclose how a highly sensitive letter written by Army Chief Gen V K Singh to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the state ofdefence preparedness was leaked.

"Fourty-seven days have passed and we do not know who was responsible for the leak. There has to be leakage somewhere...The government should tell who is responsible for it...The prime minister should reply," Balbir Punj of the BJP said in the Rajya Sabha.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, he said, "This is a matter which is of grave concern for the security of the nation" as the letter in question focused on the shortage of equipment and artillery of the armed forces.

He said as the letter was leaked to media 16 days after it was written and "there were insinuations both inside and outside the House" as if Gen Singh leaked the letter, the army chief said a probe should be ordered into it and the guilty must be dealt with ruthlessly. He said there was no reason to doubt Gen Singh and referred to media reports that someone in the cabinet secretariat was involved in the leak. "We want to know what is the result," Punj said.

The government has already denied the report about the source of the leak having been identified. Singh had written a letter to the PM on March 12, which found its way to the media on March 28.

Bharatkumar Raut of the Shiv Sena expressed concerns over recent reports of a clash between army officers and jawans in Leh. "If indiscipline like this takes place, I feel insecure and helpless. It is a matter of grave concern that this happens in a disciplined force like the army...Senior officials in the defence ministry and babus should take cognisance of the matter...It is a very serious issue and it can prove to be a grave danger to the nation's security.