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Gen Malik terms Bhagwat's charges 'baseless'

A 'distressed' chief of army staff, Gen V P Malik today described as "baseless and irrational" the insinuation made by former naval chief admiral Vishnu Bhagwat that the army chief was given extension through a special dispensation by Defence Minister George Fernandes.

In a statement, Gen Malik, reacting to Admiral Bhagwat's charges made at a press meet in the capital on February 22, also denied that there was anything political to do with the Army Day investiture ceremony in Bombay in January 1996 which was attended by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray or the Veer Savarkar award ceremony which the army chief presided over in May 1998.

Gen Malik said he was "surprised and distressed" to see the allegations made by Admiral Bhagwat to journalists at the Press Club of India.

''After extending the retirement age of all ranks by two years the government took the decision to re-fix the retirement age of service chiefs at 62 years or three years tenure, whichever is earlier. The last service chief (chief of air staff) retired on 31 Dec 98 after completing a three-year tenure. I am unable to see any special dispensation which accrues to me as a result of this ruling'', Gen Malik said.

Adm Bhagwat had alleged that the defence minister had made up his mind in July-August about ousting him and given a one-year extension to Gen Malik, ''his (Fernandes's) choice as chairman chiefs of staff and -- more significantly his choice as permanent chief of the defence staff in the restructured MoD".

At the February 22 press meet, the sacked naval chief had also said that the allegation made against him were that he had departed from traditional political neutrality expected of a chief of staff. ''But does political neutrality signify accepting Savarkar awards or presiding at their functions...Does political neutrality mean calling Bal Thackeray to army investiture parades at Shivaji Park, as was done by the present chief of army staff'', Adm Bhagwat had asked.

Reacting to this, Gen Malik said the investiture parade at Bombay on January 15, 1996, when he was GoC-in-C, southern command, was a public function, well attended by military and civil public and was arranged at Shivaji Park so that the public could witness the ceremony to honour brave and distinguished soldiers.

The parade was advertised in the media and the public was invited. A large number of invitations were also issued to state government officials, public leaders and dignitaries.

''I recall that some members from Bal Thackeray's family attended the parade. At the end of this ceremony, Thackeray himself came and met the kith and kin of gallantry award winners. I have never met Bal Thackeray before or after this function.

''Ironically, ex-admiral Bhagwat, as an invitee, had himself attended the complete parade and the ceremony as well as other connected functions. He has neither on that occasion, or thereafter, raised this issue with me, formally or informally'', the army chief said.

Regarding the Veer Savarkar award, Gen Malik said neither the trust instituting the award, the organisers nor the recipients had any political affiliations.

He said he had been requested to preside over the ceremony when the award was given to scientific adviser to the defence minister, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on May 28, 1998.

The recipient of the first Veer Savarkar award was K Subrahmanyam and Gen Malik's predecessor Gen Shankar Roychowdhury had presided over the ceremony in 1997, the army chief said.

The award, he said was made under the aegis of the Centre for Strategic Studies. The award had been instituted by the Runa Vimochan trust set up by Madhav Ranade, a private individual who had donated over Rs 1 million from his own savings as a philanthropic gesture to promote strategic studies and research on issues of defence-preparedness of India.

A three-member committee headed by former naval chief Admiral J G Nadkarni, Lt Gen (retd) B T Pandit and Air Marshal (retd) S Kulkarni selected the awardee, Gen Malik added.

UNI

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