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Fernandes refuses to resign, calls Bhagwat a madman

Ruling out his resignation on the charges made by ex-admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, Defence Minister George Fernandes said the Centre is aware it is not him but the government that is the target.

"Why should I resign? The prime minister has not asked me to. He has categorically said he supports me," Fernandes argued.

In an interview to India Today, the defence minister dismissed Bhagwat's allegation that he had not been taken into confidence about the nuclear tests.

"That is not true. I was briefed much before hand, before Bhagwat was told about it."

Asked whether he regretted having delayed Bhagwat's dismissal, Fernandes said, "In hindsight, yes... It was not just clear cases of defiance of authority. There is a total violation of the Navy Act by him, he even lied to the government... You have a defence minister who wants information and is told by his chief of staff, 'No, this information can't be given to you'."

Fernandes said he had not anticipated that the naval chief could expose security concerns and cause harm to the country. If Bhagwat had continued, the damage to the navy would have been beyond repair, he claimed.

The defence minister said in any other army or service, at the first act of defiance Bhagwat would have been told to fall in line or get out.

"But I did not do that. The real crunch came in November. This is the most sensitive aspect of the whole thing, which I cannot speak about in the near future or even the distant future. It is not a fig leaf of national security. It impinges on our short-term and, more than that, our long-term security concerns."

Saying it hurt him not to speak out after Bhagwat's dismissal, Fernandes said even now he refuses to answer sensitive questions as they could cause more complications in the country and India's relationship with its neighbours. "And Bhagwat seems to be keen on that. So whose game is he playing by demoralising the forces?"

Asked why he did not take any action against former defence secretary Ajit Kumar when the three service chiefs said they were having problems with him, Fernandes said he had no reason to doubt Kumar's integrity, ability, experience or commitment.

Regarding Bhagwat's accusation that the defence minister is being funded by foreign agencies for harbouring terrorists and abetting gun-runners from Burma, he said, "Who are these Burmese gunners I am supposed to be in cahoots with?"

"If it is these poor Burmese students who are staying at my house, Bhagwat doesn't even know they are looked after by the UN High Commission for Refugees. The foolishness of this man has no limits. If it is Tibet he is referring to, I have been a supporter of the Tibetan movement since 1949, when Bhagwat was still wearing short pants."

About his objection to the demand for a joint parliamentary committee to go into Bhagwat's dismissal and charges, Fernandes said removal of the naval chief is the prerogative of the executive. If the opposition has any charges against him, it should specify them.

"They can't have a madman's ravings put down on a 10-rupee stamp paper, endorse it and say it is an affidavit. The JPC must have an agenda, which it will investigate. It is not something to joke about."

UNI

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