AMN /
BJP has demanded former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and former Defence Miniser A K Antony to clarify on Congress leader Manish Tewari’s remarks that an English daily story about troops movement towards Delhi in 2012 was true.
Party Spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said Congress should come out with a clarification as UPA government had denied the report at that time.
Questioning the timing of Mr Tewari’s statement, he alleged that only to target the then Army Chief and now Union Minister Gen V K Singh, the Congress leader is questioning the credibility of Armed forces.
Mr Singh also demanded the Congress to take action against Mr Tewari for his comments.
On the other hand, the Congress distanced itself from Mr. Tewari’s claim. Party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Mr Tewari was neither a member of the cabinet committee on security nor any of relevant decision making body at that time. He said there is no truth in his remarks.
Yesterday, at a book launch function in New Delhi, Mr Manish Tewari, who was the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting during that regime, said it is unfortunate, but the story was correct.
Meanwhile, General V K Singh, who had then dismissed the report as absolutely baseless, attacked Mr Tewari and said he has no work these days.
The English daily in its 4th April 2012 report had claimed that, central intelligence agencies reported that on the night of January 16, there was an unexpected and non-notified movement by a key military unit from the mechanised infantry based in Hisar towards the national capital.
Congress distances from Manish Tewari’s comments on 2012 troop movement report
AMN /
New Delhi: The Congress party today distanced itself from party leader and former minister Manish Tewari claim that a news report appeared in Indian Express on a controversial 2012 troop movement towards Delhi was true.
“When this alleged incident regarding the army is supposed to have taken place, senior ministers had even then clarified, and I am now clarifying, that there is absolutely no truth in the allegation,” Congress spokesman Abikshek Singhvi said in New Delhi.
“In fact, it was also clarified (then) that some troop movements are necessary inbuilt and inevitable part of a defence mechanism. But to read into it all the other elements is completely wrong,” he added.
When the alleged incident took place, the Congress-led UPA government ruled India. The then army chief, VK Singh, who denied ordering any illegal troop movement, is now the minister of state for external affairs in the Narendra Modi government.
Tewari at a book release function on Saturday said that he was on the Standing Committee on Defence when the reported incident took place.
“It’s unfortunate but the story was true, story was correct. To the best of my knowledge the story is correct.”
Former general, Singh, hit out at Tewari. “Manish Tewari has no work these days. I have written a book, tell him to read it,” Singh told reporters in Ujjain. Tewari, a former union minister, said he would love to read Singh’s book “provided he promises to read mine – in offing!”.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who was also then a member of the Standing Committee on Defence, said on Sunday that there was no such discussion ever in the panel on the issue. He said discussions in parliamentary panels cannot be brought out in the public domain.