Traditionally, the appointment is made two months ahead of the retirement of the incumbent Chief but the UPA government deviated from this practice when Bikram Singh was appointed in 2012.
At that time, the appointment was made three months in advance and this time too, the decision has been taken nearly two and a half months ahead.
The process of appointment, which had got mired in a controversy because of BJP's opposition, gained momentum after the Defence Ministry got a clearance from the Election Commission and it recommended the name of Suhag. BJP has been questioning the “hurry” in making the appointment and insisting that the matter be left to the next government as there is still time left.
Former Army Chief and now BJP member Gen V K Singh has been in the forefront of opposing Suhag's appointment.
Singh, as Army Chief, had put a ‘Disciplinary and Vigilance' ban on Suhag when he was the 3 Corps Commander two years back.
The ban, which prohibits a promotion, was lifted immediately after incumbent Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh took over on May 31,2012.
“What and whom are they trying to protect? What are the Defence Ministry and UPA-II scared of?... This harms the individual as people will question the UPA's motive,” he said today.
“The Defence Ministry seems determined to push the file through the Appointments Committee of Cabinet and the Prime Minister's Office despite the fact that given the ongoing Jorhat dacoity case, which has been a blot on the name of the Army, there can be no vigilance clearance. “They got away with it two years ago when Gen Bikram Singh was appointed the Chief, so they feel they can do the same thing again,” Gen V K Singh said.
