Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 6
A former disabled Lieutenant Colonel has sent a legal notice for defamation to a Lieutenant General, who retired on October 31, over views expressed by the latter on disabled soldiers and other military veterans demanding Rs 1 crore compensation for damages to reputation caused thereof.
In his notice sent through his lawyer, Lt Col Nijar Bakshi of Noida averred that in an interview given to a private news channel, Lt Gen Ashwani Kumar, who was the Adjutant General at Army Headquarters before hanging up his boots, spoke in an “irresponsible and abandoned manner” about various service subjects that were outside his purview and expressed views that were against the statements of the Defence Minister, statutory provisions and judgments of the High Courts and the Supreme Court.
The Adjutant General (AG), one of the principal staff officers to the Chief of Army Staff, is responsible for conditions of service, welfare, manpower, discipline, morale, legal affairs and fiscal matters.
Pointing out that the Lt General, on the eve of his retirement, spoke “disparagingly” about military pensioners and persons with disabilities conveying as if many such pensioners did not deserve disability benefits, the notice contends that his statements had breached the bar by contravening and challenging the authority of the Defence Minister as some of the issues were sub-judice or already being looked into by the Defence Minister.
‘Insult to veterans’
This has not only put disabled veterans to ridicule, but has also shamed the Government of India, which gives disability pension on its own as per its rules and has also been contemptuous of court orders. — Lt Col Nijar Bakshi
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2oSS7CY
via Today’s News Headlines
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