Agencies/New Delhi
India yesterday described as “unfortunate” a lawsuit filed by the army chief asking for his birthday to be changed, which would allow him to remain in office for an extra year. The defence ministry broke its silence over the development, which has led to an embarrassing clash between the government and India’s 1.13mn-strong military, the fourth largest in the world. “It is an unfortunate development and it is not a healthy precedent either for the defence ministry or the armed forces,” Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju told the CNN-IBN television channel. “It is a very sensitive issue,” Raju added. General V K Singh on Monday petitioned the Supreme Court asking for his birthday to be changed on official records to prevent him being forced into retirement in May. He has asked the court to recognise what he says is his correct birthday as May 10, 1951, making him one year younger than the age shown on government records which state his date of birth as May 10, 1950. The defence ministry has previously rejected Singh’s claim twice, citing the date marked on his documents when he entered the army. Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma yesterday met the army chief in a one-on-one meeting when the issue is said to have come up for discussion.The Supreme Court is yet to fix a date for hearing the army chief’s petition, though another public interest litigation on the same issue will come up for hearing tomorrow.Defence Minister A K Antony is under attack from opposition leaders and even some in the Congress over the issue.Former defence minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh accused an “incompetent Antony” of treating the “sensitive issue in an insensitive manner.”“I am amazed at his (Antony’s) incompetence and the sheer folly of treating such a sensitive matter in an insensitive manner,” he said.Samjwadi Party leader Mohan Singh said the “government should have taken it as an extraordinary issue and dealt it with utmost sincerity and sensitivity”.Antony refused to respond to questions from journalists. Some Congress leaders have told party president Sonia Gandhi that the issue should be handled carefully to avoid any repercussions in the coming assembly elections.Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, an former army captain, has openly supported Gen Singh. Several traditional critics of Antony in the party from Kerala have told Gandhi that his “indecisiveness” should not now affect national-level politics.“Antony often becomes adamant and a prisoner of his holier-than-thou image,” said a party leader. According to him, party members normally refrained from criticising him as he was in Gandhi’s good books. “As Antony’s actions are creating political problems, more leaders are now raising their voices inside the party,” the leader added. Outside the political arena also criticism of Antony is on the rise. “The minister and the government have messed it up. The number of former army officers criticising the government on TV channels should embarrass the government,” former Border Security Force chief E N Rammohan said.