General V.K. Singh says he has no clue of resolution of age row

New Delhi, Jan 16 (ANI): Chief of Army Staff, General V.K. Singh, has said that he has 'no clue' of any early resolution of the ongoing controversy surrounding his age issue, but insisted that the matter be allowed to rest and not become a public debate.

To a poser on whether he is expecting an early resolution of the issue surrounding his age, General Singh said: "I have got no clue. I am working as I am."

"I don't want to say anything. He has expressed his confidence and I am following that. Earlier also I have said that I am working for the organisation. I appreciate his confidence and will try to stand upto that," he added, when asked to comment on the confidence expressed by Defence Minister A K Antony in him regardless of the ongoing issue.

When asked to clarify whether the issue has been settled by the Defence Ministry, General Singh said: "Why do you want a clarity? I have said this is an issue that should be allowed to rest, and not become a public debate. So there is no requirement to give it any spin, or to give it any more wings than what it actually is."

"I think I have already said a lot of things on this subject. Actually there is no requirement for me to say anything on this subject. The reason is that, whatever I say will either be misinterpreted or interpreted in a manner in which somebody will write it," he added, when asked whether he would accept the government decision, if the age issue is delinked from his tenure in office.

General V.K. Singh had earlier this month disassociated himself with the reports of fresh representations by him concerning his date of birth.

Reacting to queries by media during his visit to the NCC Republic Day Camp on January 10, General V.K. Singh said: "I think I have said this time and again, this is a purely personal issue and I desist from making any comments on this. If something has appeared in the five days that I was away, please ask your colleagues why it has appeared and what has appeared. I have got nothing to do with it."

"This is a personal issue. I do not want to comment or give any remark on this. This is a purely personal issue. It has no relation with the organization," he added, when asked whether he had any differences with the Defence Ministry on the issue.

Reports in the media had earlier indicated that General V.K. Singh had written to the Government that his date of birth was May 10, 1951 and not 1950 as entered on the basis of his application when he entered the National Defence Academy.

According to certain reports, the controversy stemmed from different sets of records in the adjutant general and military secretary branches of the Indian Army Headquarters.

While the adjutant general's branch that deals with pay, perks and pensions maintains 1951 as his year of birth, the military secretary branch that deals with appointments and promotions has 1950 in its records.

The Ministry of Defence had earlier rejected Army Chief General V. K. Singh's statutory complaint seeking a correction of his date of birth in the army records.

According to reports, General Singh has been conveyed that that he will have to retire from service on May 31, 2012 on completion of his two-year tenure.

General Singh, who has consistently claimed that he was born in 1951 and not 1950 as maintained, had in his statutory complaint asked the Defence Ministry to consider May 10, 1951 as his date of birth.

The Army Chief had earlier filed the statutory complaint with Defence Minister A. K. Antony after the government issued an order on July 21 in which it said that it will consider May 10, 1950 as his date of birth. (ANI)