Age row could have been avoided: Gen Singh

Thiruvananthapuram, May 8 (IANS) Indian Army chief General V.K. Singh Tuesday said he wished the controversy over his age could have been avoided.

Asked what he feels over the issue, sad or angry, the general replied: 'I want to look at it as something that could have been avoided.'

Asked by who, he shot back: 'By everybody.'

Gen Singh arrived here on a two-day visit Monday and attended the release of a book, 'North-East Trilogy', written by Dipti Bhalla and Kunal Verma.

The book was released by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

In response to another question, Gen Singh said corruption had always been a major issue and people were fighting corruption everywhere.

'Our thrust is in transparency and probity and to ensure middlemen's wrong practices are checked. Defects in purchases ... the army takes action and we ensure it is corrected.

'Changes in the entire system are required,' he added.

Earlier, Gen Singh and his wife prayed at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and the nearby Ganapathy temple here.