Army had denied troop movement report in 2012 itself: Prasad

Four years after The Indian Express published a story about non-notified troop movements towards New Delhi – spooking the Raisina Hills of a possibility of a coup – statement by Congress leader Manish Tewari has brought the story back in the limelight.

Jolted by former UPA minister Manish Tewari’s remarks on 2012 troop movement story by an English Newspaper, former Army chief V K Singh and Congress catagorically dissmissed the claims.

Former Defence Minister A K Antony, who was at the helm when the controversy regarding “unauthorise movement of troops” erupted in 2012, Sunday stick to his stand on the issue, saying that he had clarified the matter in Parliament.

The Defence Ministry had in April 2012 emphasised that the movement of troops in January that yr was a part of a routine train to examine operational preparedness and dismissed the media report on it as being based mostly on “improper inferences, surmises and conjectures”.

The Indian Express in a front page news report in April 2012 had said that said two key army units had moved towards Delhi on the night of 16 January without notifying the administration, causing alarm in the highest echelons of the executive. “We don’t know the motive, but the fact is such a distrust did come up”, the senior journalist further said.

Singhvi pointed out that Tewari was never a member of any decision-making body on defence, nor was he a party spokesperson or spokesperson on issues pertaining to external affairs and defence.

The Congress and the BJP both rubbished Mr Tewari’s claim that the report was “unfortunate but true”.

Tewari said at a book release function on Saturday night that he was on the Standing Committee on Defence when the reported incident took place.

It was inappropriate, unnecessary and completely wrong to suggest that there was any truth in those allegations when made, he said.

Mr. Singh said the Congress leader should be told to read his book which talks about the issue.

On the same night, another unit – identified as a large element of the 50th Para Brigade based at Agra – had also been moved towards Delhi, according to the newspaper report. “To the best of my knowledge the story is correct”.

Infromation and Broadcasting Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said army had already denied in 2012 that any such thing had happened.

“It’s very apparent that the Congress Party as a strategy adopts some of the most virulent attackers from the party to speak in different voices”, Rao said. Army chief General VK Singh, now retired, had denied the report. Story was correct…I am not getting into an argument. They will not do anything to undermine Indian democracy, ” a visibly angry Antony told newspersons when a UNI reporter asked his reaction to the reported troop movement.