Defending the selection of General Bipin Rawat for the post of Army Chief superseding two senior officers including lt General Praveen Bakshi and lt General PM Haria, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said due procedures were “perfectly followed” by the Government.
He also said seniority was not the only criteria in the procedures to select Army Chief adding if seniority was the principle, then a computer could have selected Service chiefs based on date of birth.
Moreover, there would not have been need of any due process or Cabinet Committee of Appointment if seniority alone was the criterion, he said.
“First of all, I do not know where there is principle of seniority. There is a procedure set wherein all commanders are verified for their performance. I can assure you that those who were considered were all good. Too good and probably that is the reason why we could not take decision early,” Parrikar said in a Press conference here.
If seniority was the yardstick, “there would be no requirement of any Raksha Mantri, there would be no requirement of Cabinet Committee on Appointment because then it is a computer job. Date of birth decides who becomes General,” he said.
Parrikar also said laid down procedures were duly followed and no violation
took place.