UPA targeting V K Singh for sharing dais with Modi: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday claimed that former chief of army staff General V K Singh is being targeted by the United Progressive Alliance government for sharing the dais with BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at a recent rally in Rewari, Haryana.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said the defence ministry's decision to order a probe against General Singh -- in connection with a media-based report that he had allegedly ordered a technical unit of the army to unseat the Jammu and Kashmir government when he was in office -- was completely unjustified.

"General V K Singh is being hounded because he was seen by the side of Narendra Modi," said Sitharaman.

She added, "We caution the government to look into this, as this will result in a complete trust deficit and demoralise the army.”

Media reports have claimed that General Singh set up a special unit in the army which tried to topple the Jammu and Kashmir government.

The report claims that a secret Board of Officers inquiry has recommended that the Central Bureau of Investigation look into the matter.

Media report also claims that the unit set up by General Singh -- called the Technical Services Division -- a part of Military Intelligence, tried to block General Bikram Singh''s promotion.

The reports said that the recommendation has been examined by the Prime Minister's Office and the ministry of defence.

The report was prepared by Director General Military Operations Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia, as part of a Board of Officers formed by General Bikram Singh, to review the functioning of the top secret unit set up under his predecessor.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rashid Alvi quashed the BJP's allegations -- that the enquiry was part of a political vendetta.

"The government will decide if the inquiry will be conducted or not," Alvi said.

"People want to know if he (Singh) was doing it on his own or if there was a political party behind it," he added.

Image: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with former army chief General V K Singh ' Photograph Courtesy: http://www.narendramodi.in/