AK Antony, Union Defence Minister, is now facing a controversy regarding his inaction in the bribery case that was brought to his notice by his Army Chief Gen VK Singh, over a year ago. In his statement to the Parliament, a few day ago, in response to the public and opposition uproar, Antony acknowledged that the Army Chief had, indeed, told him about the bribery offer, but he did not act because the General did not want to pursue the matter. Instead of pressing his subordinate-the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Singh, to follow it up, he left it at that. How could the Defence Minister, known for "honesty" and "incorruptability", adopt an attitude of indifference and inaction in a serious matter of corruption at higher levels? How could he accept the Army Chief's reported reluctance to probe the case further and not himself initiate an enquiry?
However, when one looks deep into the Antony mindset, one is not surprised. This approach of laissez-faire, silence, indecision, general reluctance to promptly grapple with grave problems of governance and morality seems a trade-mark of this UPA govt. headed by Dr Manmohan Singh, a master, silent bureaucrat-turned politician and comprising senior members like Antony. No wonder, the country is hurtling from one cisis to another caused by a series of scams.
The unpleasantness between the Army Chief and the govt, particularly his boss, the Defence Minister, began with the controversy of the former's birth year. It has now worsened on the issues of the bribe offer that the General had conveyed to Antony and followed by his leaked letter to the PM about the inadequate preparedness of the armed forces due to insufficient weaponry, ammunition, etc. The ruling politicians and their supporters are raising hell about the grave leak, but do not display similar concern about the more disastrous state of our defence forces, thanks to the sensitivity and seriousness of the leadership.
However, when one looks deep into the Antony mindset, one is not surprised. This approach of laissez-faire, silence, indecision, general reluctance to promptly grapple with grave problems of governance and morality seems a trade-mark of this UPA govt. headed by Dr Manmohan Singh, a master, silent bureaucrat-turned politician and comprising senior members like Antony. No wonder, the country is hurtling from one cisis to another caused by a series of scams.
The unpleasantness between the Army Chief and the govt, particularly his boss, the Defence Minister, began with the controversy of the former's birth year. It has now worsened on the issues of the bribe offer that the General had conveyed to Antony and followed by his leaked letter to the PM about the inadequate preparedness of the armed forces due to insufficient weaponry, ammunition, etc. The ruling politicians and their supporters are raising hell about the grave leak, but do not display similar concern about the more disastrous state of our defence forces, thanks to the sensitivity and seriousness of the leadership.
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