Gen Singh releases book alleging nepotism in Army

The Chief said there is no “line of succession” in the Army and the talk about infighting within the force is a “creation of the media”. He also accused Dalbir of leaking the show-cause notice to the media. “It is the moral duty of the junior to reply to that rather than running around and go to media and show it to people that he has got a notice. Why he has done it,please ask him,” he said.

While Gen Singh was seated on the stage,author of the book R K Anand took on the government for mixing politics in the promotions of senior officer,even going to the extent of naming officers who had been “targeted”. The Army Chief later tried to distance himself from the publication.

“Releasing a book does not mean anything in the world. He is a respected man. I have released his book and I am happy about it,” he said,when asked if he endorsed the views expressed in the book.

The book alleges political interference,a “manipulative bureaucracy” and vested interests of interfering with promotions of top officers. It chronicles the cases of 10 officers who were denied “rightful promotions” that the author “fought” for. The book also delves into the matter of the Army Chief’s age row,detailing the entire controversy,right to the time of the latest PIL that was turned down by the Supreme Court in March.

It also alleges factionalism within the Army. “The subversion of institutional integrity through political and bureaucratic interference only became possible because someone within the Army decided to play games at the initial stage itself,” it reads.

The General later took on questions regarding accusations by Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh that he had tapped phones of top government functionaries. He dared him to produce evidence. “Ask him to produce those things and not just spread lies.”

The Army Chief said he hoped a new system is put in place so that cases of discrimination against service officers do not come up in future.