Don’t name army chief yet, Swami to President

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee, requesting him not to give a nod to UPA’s move to appoint its “handpicked choice” as a new army chief, saying it will “politicise” the office and “demoralise” the forces.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee, requesting him not to give a nod to UPA’s move to appoint its “handpicked choice” as a new army chief, saying it will “politicise” the office and “demoralise” the forces.

In his letter, Swamy said it was widely believed in the army that the appointment was being pushed ahead of time at the behest of “Arms Purchase and Commission Lobbies”.

“What makes it worse is the fact that the designated officer, the favourite in the controversial UPA ‘Line of Succession’ is the only Chief to be who is not even a PSC (Passed Staff College), considered within the Army to be a competitive pre-requisite to even for commanding an infantry battalion,” Swamy said.

He also alleged that the government’s move to announce the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) was in direct breach to the established convention, both in terms of time frame and also with regards to certain ongoing investigations currently before judiciary. The President had referred the matter to the government.