This refers to the editorial, “Dirty dance of politics” (February 20). Transparency and accountability are the keys for an effective functioning of a sensitive Ministry. If Minister for Defence Manohar Parrikar was wrongly briefed on the December 31 incident, there is no harm in admitting so. If his version is right, then the boastful Coast Guard officer should be punished so that responsible officers will think twice before openly airing their views.
The Pakistani boat incident has become an international issue which, if not clarified soon, can snowball into a major embarrassment for the Government. There are glaring and gaping holes in the Coast Guard DIG BK loshali's statement. That he was not even in operational command on the night when the boat exploded nails his lies. Now, the Defence Minister must work towards ironing out the creases in his Ministry's functioning and keep his promise of releasing fresh evidence about the incident.