Army chief parries question on controversies

"I have already said what I wanted to yesterday," he told reporters to queries outside a conference venue here. With reporters persisting with their queries, he retorted, "I think you people speculate too much."

Gen Singh had on Thursday responded to the controversies surroundings him through a statement released by the Army Headquarters. The Army chief has been targeted by various political parties after a letter written by him to the Prime Minister, presenting a grim picture of the force`s preparedness, was leaked to media.

In a statement released by Army Headquarters on Thursday, Gen Singh had termed his official communication with the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister as "privileged" communication. "The leakage of the letter should be treated as high treason. Cynical approach to tarnish my reputation should stop. Sources of the leakage should be found and dealt with ruthlessly," Singh, who is due to retire on May 31, had said.

The media leak of the letter came on top of an acrimony between the Army chief and the government since earlier this week over his media interview in which he had claimed that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore by a retired Lt Gen for swinging a sub-standard defence deal.

Singh`s leaked letter led to demands by SP, JD(U) and RJD for his dismissal yesterday even as the government and opposition were agreed his concerns should not have come out in the open.