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

Malik recalled that a large number of invitations were issued to State Government officials, public leaders and dignitaries for an investiture ceremony to honour brave and distinguished soldiers at Mumbai's Shivaji Park on January 15, 1996, when he was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Command.

Maintaining that at the end of the ceremony, Thackeray himself came and met the kith and kinof the Gallantry Award winners, the Army Chief said, ``I have never met Thackeray before or after this function.''

At a meet-the-press programme at the Press Club of India here on February 22, Bhagwat had asked, ``Does political neutrality mean calling Bal Thackeray to an army investiture parade at Shivaji Park, as was done by the present Chief of Army Staff?''

On Bhagwat's charge that the retirement age of service chiefs was enhanced to suit the serving Army Chief, Malik said that the enhancement for all ranks of defence services had been conjointly made with the extension of age granted to all Government servants.

Observing that he was ``surprised and distressed'' to see press reports on the ``insinuations'' made by Bhagwat on his return from an official visit to Vietnam, the General said that after extending retirement age of all ranks by two years, the Government took the decision to refix the retirement age of service chiefs at 62 years, or a three year tenure, whichever was earlier.

``The lastservice chief (air chief S K Sareen) retired on December 31 last year, after completing a three year tenure. I am unable to see any special dispensation which accrues to me as a result of this ruling,'' Malik said.

On allegations relating to his presiding over the Veer Savarkar Award ceremony for valuable contribution in the field of strategic studies on May 28, last year, Malik said the first recipient of this award was strategic analyst K Subrahmanyam and his predecessor and former army chief Gen S Roychowdhury had presided over the award ceremony in 1997.

``The second recipient is Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. For the second award ceremony, I was requested to preside over the award ceremony, which I did on May 28, 1998,'' he said.