As Army chief Gen V K Singh categorically denied leaking his “top secret” letter to the Prime Minister, the defence ministry on Thursday asked the Intelligence Bureau to investigate the leak, described as an anti-national act by Defence Minister A K Antony, so that the people behind the leak are punished.
“Whoever leaked the letter is anti-national. It will only help enemies,” Antony said after inaugurating the DefExpo here on Thursday. The explosive letter, leaked out to a section of the media, had specific information like 97 per cent of India’s air defence is obsolete. Retired Army officers too pointed out that the leak would strengthen the hands of the enemy.
“I have asked the IB to conduct an enquiry. The agency has started its job. We want to go to the root of this leak and would take stringent action against the guilty under Indian law,” he said.
On Thursday, IB chief N S Sandhu spoke to Gen Singh over telephone, hours before his return to the capital. IB officials will meet the Army chief, possibly on Friday and Saturday as the Gen Singh is scheduled to go out of the capital again next week.
Asked whether any timeframe was given to the IB to complete its enquiry, the minister said, “It would be completed at the earliest and maximum punishment will be given to the guilty.”
Even though a section of parliamentarians and officials suspected involvement of the Army chief himself or his office staff for the leak, the embattled general on Thursday categorically denied his involvement in the leak and dubbed it as “an act of treason.”
“Leaking of the letter to the media amounts to high treason and an attempt to tarnish my reputation,” he said in a statement issued by Army headquarters.
“This is an outrage. I have nothing to do with the leak of the letter to the PM. Official communication with the Prime Minister or Defence Minister was privileged information and the leakage of the letter should be treated as high treason,” Singh said, completely distancing himself from the letter-bomb that rocked Parliament for two days.
Ever since the letter was leaked a section of politicians as well as bureaucrats as well as officers of the armed forces – both serving and retired – insinuated it to be a handiwork of Gen Singh, who they claimed, wanted to embarrass the government after losing the date of birth case against the defence ministry in the Supreme Court. But at the same time, another section of officials hinted at the involvement of officials from other ministries.
“The source of the leak should be found and dealt with ruthlessly. The cynical approach to tar my reputation should stop,” Gen Singh said.
The Defence Minister said all the three service chiefs, including Gen Singh, enjoyed the confidence of the government and he was not in an “embarrassing situation” to work with them at South Block, which houses the defence ministry.