``There has been increasing interference of the babus of the MoD in the functioning of the Army. The Siachen issue came to light because for the first time we have an able defence minister who applies his mind and does not put his dhobi mark wherever the defence secretary asks him to,'' a top Army officer said.

Admiral Bhagwat and Chief of Air Staff Satish Kumar Sareen were present during the celebrations today. ``The job of the Armed Forces is to fight a war. The job of the ministry is to assist the armed forces in fighting the war. But with the ministry being more powerful, it's been putting hurdles in the path. And Bhagwat, it appears, unlike several officers in the pastis not looking for the post of a Governor or ambassador once he retires. So he has taken the bull by its horns,'' Commander (Retd) Arvind Kumar, a war veteran said.

Former Chief of the Army Staff General V N Sharma told The Indian Express that senior armed forces officers should be a part of the main decision-making body in the MoD. ``A bureaucrat has no practical experience or knowledge about war, weapons and often ask a lot of unnecessary questions. The Defence Secretary is more of an expert in parliamentary affairs and financial matters. So it should be the Armed forces to decide about the Army,'' he said.

But General Sharma also cautioned the Armed Forces against going to courts and said in the long run it would set a bad precedent. ``The ministry should not interfere in the functioning of the Armed Forces and let the Chief decide who he wants to appoint where, but it is bad for so many senior officers to go to the court. Then each major or lieutenant colonel who is superseded would run to thecourt. How will the Army function?''

Wing Commander (Retd) B K Sinha was posted in Ladakh at the time when Pakistan opened attack on the western front. ``When the Army is too busy fighting the bureaucrats when will they have the time or frame of mind to fight the enemy,'' he said.

Earlier in the day, President K R Narayanan paid floral tributes at the Amar Jawan at India Gate, followed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Defence Minister George Fernandes. CAS Sareen and CNS Bhagwat also paid tributes. COAS V P Malik's aircraft could not land in Delhi because of poor weather and he could not attend the victory celebrations.