New Delhi, Apr 30: Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has scoffed at media report about movement of troops near New Delhi in January this year.
 Pertinently, the Government had stated that the report was based on “wrong inferences, surmises and conjectures”.
 In the report tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday, the panel said that the Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma had informed that the Army did not need to seek permission from the Government for such troop movement.
 "As stated by the Secretary the media report was based on wrong inferences, surmises and conjectures and is strongly dismissed," the Committee headed by Satpal Maharaj said.
 The media report had claimed that the Army had moved two units towards New Delhi without notifying the Government on January 16-17, only some hours after Army Chief Gen V K Singh went to the Supreme Court against the Government on the issue of his date of birth.
 The report had created a storm in Parliament and in political circles. The Committee further stated that Sharma had further informed that mobilisation practice was carried out by two units including a sub-unit of the Agra-based 50 Para Independent Brigade and a battalion under the Hisar-based 33 Armoured Division.
 Appearing before the panel, Sharma further observed that the troop movement was purely for training purposes aimed at refining the mobilization drills and ensuring operational preparedness of the Army despite adverse weather conditions.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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