Upset over one of its former officials coming out with a book that criticises the internal functioning of the agency and makes a case for Parliamentary supervision, the Research & Analysis Wing, the country’s premier external intelligence agency, has asked the Government to ban the book.

It’s learnt that RAW head Ashok Chaturvedi has written to the Cabinet Secretary to stop further publication and sale of the book India’s External Intelligence — Secrets of Research and Analysis Wing on the grounds that it violates the Official Secrets Act. This came after a meeting between Chaturvedi and National Security Advisor M K Narayanan.

RAW has taken the plea that the author, Maj Gen V K Singh, has divulged secret information that could hurt the country’s interest. As per procedure, the contents will be screened by a Committee of Secretaries and then sent to Law Ministry for final clearance of a ban order.

The Government showed similar discomfort when M K Dhar, a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau, wrote the book Open Secrets — India’s Intelligence Unveiled. However, the IB decided against moving a ban order.

Rules suggest that any former agency official planning to write a book must first submit it for screening to the intelligence agency concerned. Singh admits that he did not submit any manuscript for pre-clearance but argues that he was on deputation to RAW and, otherwise, belongs to the Army where no such rules apply.

“As far as I am concerned, there is a two-year cooling-off period for us after we retire. I retired three years ago, so I don’t see the problem,” Singh told The Sunday Express. Still unaware of the Government move to ban his book, he says: “I don’t regret having written the book at all.”

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