Congress leader and former Minister, in the UPA Government, Manish Tewari has raked up the controversy that plagued the UPA Government in 2012. The Indian Express had done an exclusive report stating that the then army General VK Singh had moved troops from different units towards Delhi with the intention of staging a coup. VK Singh had vehemently denied this but Manish Tewari claims that the story was correct and that he had been part of the Cabinet Committee on Security where this matter was discussed. In a rare show of solidarity both the Congress and the BJP have rubbished Tewari’s claims and stated that he was not part of any Government Committee during that time. Rebutting Tewari’s statement, Congress party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Tewari is “neither the authorised spokesperson nor was he a part of the Cabinet Committee on Security. It was not right for him to comment on such issues”. Singhvi also added that some troop movements are necessary, “inbuilt and inevitable part of the defence mechanism”. Despite staunch denial from the Congress Party, Tewari stuck to his claims. So what is it that Tewari knows which the nation doesn’t? Is the Congress Party defending its position because the issue had become an embarrassment for it at the time? And if indeed the movement of troops was normal why was the newspaper and its editor not taken to task for making a statement that actually paints India in a bad light and creates a sense of mistrust in the rank and file of the Indian army.
Former General VK Singh is now a minister in the NDA Government. He had joined the BJP after his retirement, contested and won the elections. The BJP has naturally demanded that former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the former Defence Minister AK Antony should clarify their respective positions. Antony has spoken to the media and said that Tewari’s statements are way off the mark and no such unscheduled troop movement happened. Much less an attempted coup! Coming at a time when India is battling all kinds of assaults on its western frontiers, Tewari’s statements are unwarranted even if the Congress Party is now in the opposition. It is unfortunate that there is no political consensus in this nation even in matters of national security and that political parties try to score brownie points even on such crucial issues. This is not acceptable. Moreover, it is not ethical for a Minister to disclose what is discussed inside a parliamentary committee meeting. The Congress must rein in its restive members whose tendency to speak out of turn could cost the nation dearly.