Aspersions against army 'ridiculous': Former army chief

Former Army chief VP Malik on Friday dismissed as ridiculous any attempt to cast aspersions on the Army and said there was a need to find out who was spreading these rumours.

Malik said that army exercises about which certain media reports had raised questions were just routine exercises.

"This whole episode is totally ridiculous frankly and for me it's unthinkable that a routine exercise which was going on and I know that exercise was correct.... to start spreading rumours," Malik said.

"Apparently there is some mischief and that needs to be investigated.... The aspersions on the army are totally ridiculous as far as I am concerned," he said.

The former Army chief said that whoever had been spreading rumours against the army needs to be investigated.

"Who spread all these things, who spread the rumours and all that needs to be investigated, because whatever is happening is harmful .... the whole country is affected by it," Malik said.