George clean in Barak missile deal -- Navy chief

George clean in Barak missile deal -- Navy chief
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, MARCH 21: Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Sushil Kumar today sprang to the defence of his former minister George Fernandes claiming that the former defence minister did not push through the Barak missile deal.

He also insisted that it was incorrect to drag in Fernandes' name since he came in the defence scene only in 1998. ``It is wrong to say that Fernandes had tried to push through the Barak deal,'' Admiral Kumar said. ``The navy was convinced of the efficiency, cost-effectiveness of the Israeli missiles which had undergone a series of tests since 1992,'' he added.

Fernandes it may be recalled had played a crucial role in installing Sushil Kumar as the CNS and sacking ex-Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat. In fact as flag officer-commanding Training Command at Cochin, Sushil Kumar was in direct conversation with Fernandes giving him updates on Bhagwat's actions against him. Minutes before sacking Bhagwat, Sushil Kumar was secretly flown into Delhi by Fernandes in a RAW aircraft.

Fernandes has been reeling under allegations of pushing through the Barak deal. ``Fernandes came into the scene (defence scene as Raksha minister) only in 1998. So it is wrong to drag him into any controversy regarding the missiles,'' Admiral Kumar insisted while speaking to reporters after a Naval Investiture ceremony.

Kumar said the ongoing political turmoil, created after the Tehelka expose on corruption in defence deals, has cast a shadow on the country's defence system but felt it was a temporary phenomenon and armed forces would come through it with more resilience. Usually services personnel do not comment on political events or politicians but services feel that Fernandes will return as the defence minister as soon as the inquiry `exonerates him' of personal culpability.

Fernandes, in his resignation statement, had rejected the charges by the news portal and asserted that the Rs 700 crore deal had been approved by the scientific advisor to the Defence ministry A P J Abdul Kalam.

He said the government had cleared the deal as the then naval chief and kalam had stressed on the urgency of inducting the system missiles in view of Pakistan acquiring the missile firing P-3C Orion aircraft and French anti-ship missiles.