Asserting that the Kargil War should not be judged on basis of the Armed Forces Tribunal judgement on the Batalik sector controversy, former army chief Gen V P Malik on Thursday said Brigadier Devinder Singh should have been considered for promotion.
"Don't judge the entire war history on the basis of this perceived biased and prejudiced report and the correspondence that took place between the brigade and corp commander," Malik, who led the army during the Kargil War, told PTI in Shillong.
"The Kargil War and the sacrifices made by the men should not be judged on the basis of the judgment of the tribunal. The whole episode of the war should not be painted with a black brush. It will be grossly unjust," Malik, who is here on vacation, said. "I had seen Brigadier Singh during the war. He took a little time...But thereafter, he and his formation did extremely well," he said.
The Principal Bench of the Tribunal, in its verdict, held that Lt Gen (retd) Kishan Pal, former 15 Corps GoC showed bias against Brig Devinder Singh, former 70 Infantry Brigade Commander and belittled his achievements in the war besides falsifying accounts of battles during the Kargil operations.
The Tribunal has directed that the affected officer be considered for a notional promotion to the rank of a major general.
"I feel Brigadier Singh should have been promoted. But in the army, there is a system, wherein reports are considered," he said.
"He felt aggrieved by the report (of the Corp commander). He felt that the report of the Corp Commander was biased. Hope the army headquarters will go by the tribunal and take necessary action," the former army chief said.
Asked about the annual confidential reports which the Tribunal said were 'biased', Malik said he would not comment as they were submitted just before his retirement and he had no role in it.
"In every war there are such incidents. But the Kargil was one of the most transparent wars that we ever had. It should not be judged on the basis of this episode between a brigade commander and a Corp commander," Malik said. PTI
