Bribe issue to have adverse impact on army establishment: D Raja

Senior CPI leader D Raja on Tuesday said the controversy following Army Chief Gen VK Singh's allegation that he had been offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore to clear to swing a sub-standard defence deal would have an adverse impact on the army establishment.

Talking to PTI, Raja, who is here for his party Congress, said it was unfortunate that the army chief revealed the matter after a long time.

"Defence deals are mostly shrouded by controversies as evident from the Bofors and Kargil coffin scam. It is not good for the army establishment and the country," Raja said.

The army chief appeared to be moving from one controversy to another, he said adding he had moved the Supreme Court for correction of his date of birth.

"He had the guts to do that. Had he been so serious, he should have checked his date of birth and verified it from his original certificates," Raja said.

The army chief had also made the disclosure about the bribe offer after a long time which he should have done much earlier, he said.

"He should understand that he is not an ordinary sepoy. He had set in a wrong precedent in the army establishment," the CPI leader said.

Asked whether the army chief should step down, Raja said it is for him to decide.

CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat and senior leaders of CPI-ML and Forward Bloc would be present at the inaugural session of CPI's Congress tomorrow, Raja said.

Political and economic resolutions would be adopted tomorrow after the inaugural session, he said.

The party organised an 'impressive' rally during the day which demonstrated the people's "positive inclination" towards CPI and Left parties for change, he said.

Raja slammed the Manmohan Singh government for its allegedly retrograde policies for the poor and bid to dismantle the existing PDS system which, he said, had always been opposed by Left parties.

He also took a dig at the UPA government for the 2G spectrum scam and alleged coal linkage irregularities.