Army Chief Gen Singh rules out resignation

Army Chief Gen V. K. Singh, who lost his battle with the Defence Ministry on the age row, has said the Supreme Court has ‘side-stepped’ the issue but ruled out his resignation.

"....despite the overwhelming opinion that I should resign, it was necessary for me to stay the course. The SC has side-stepped the issue. But it certainly does not not clear the way for any illegal order to be given to the army," he told Outlook in an interview.

He said: "Had I resigned, it would have been a self-goal and in the long run, against the interests of the organisation."

Gen Singh said it would be dishonest to say that that he was not not under pressure to resign.

"Even my closest advisors were affected by the media interpretation and, yes, I was extremely disappointed that the Supreme Court had not not effectively closed the issue.

"......as chief of army staff, I have a responsibility towards the army and its men and have to attend to the unfinished tasks that I had set out for myself. I cannot quit until I complete what I have started. Organisational interests are supreme," he said.

Gen Singh said many commentators were looking at this matter as a classic case of strained civil-military relations, and drew parallels with the unfinished resignation of Gen K. S. Thimmayya, to predict his resignation.

"But I see the age as something that I and the army have to address, and we will do it once we are given a legal order," he said in reply to a question about the wide speculation that he would resign since the Supreme Court did not uphold his case.

Gen Singh said the apex court order has created more confusion, without addressing the main issue. It talks of a statutory complaint being divided into two parts--the process of decision-making on the one hand and maintainability on the other.