Story of unusual troop movement by Indian Army near Delhi in January 2012 is correct, says Manish Tewari

Brushing aside allegations that a news item concerning troops' movement published by the Indian Express in 2012 was 'fake', former information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari on Saturday said its unfortunate but the story was true.

"At that time, I used to serve in the Standing Committee of Defence. And it's unfortunate, but the story was true. The story was correct," he said.

"I am not getting into an argument. All I am saying is that to the best of my knowledge that story was correct," said Tewari during a book launch function in New Delhi.

The Indian Express had on April 4, 2012, reported that late on the night of January 16, 2012 (the day then Army Chief General VK Singh approached the Supreme Court on his date of birth issue), central intelligence agencies reported an unexpected (and non-notified) movement by a key military unit from the mechanised infantry based in Hisar (Haryana) as a part of the 33rd Armoured Division (which is a part of 1 Corps, a strike formation based in Mathura and commanded by Lt Gen. A K Singh) in the direction of the capital, 150 km away.

The Indian Express had earlier claimed the report is a meticulous reconstruction and a very sober interpretation of the movement of two key Army units towards New Delhi on the night of January 16-17. The then Army Chief had later said the report in The Indian Express on unusual troop movements in the direction of the capital in mid-January was 'absolutely stupid'.