Move on Harinder suicidal: Bhagwat

Several top officers in the navy have already told Bhagwat8217;s successor Admiral Sushil Kumar about their inability to work with Vice Admiral Harinder Singh. However, he is likely to take over on Monday. This, Bhagwat said, was suicidal not for the Defence Minister but also for the Navy and Harinder Singh himself.

8220;Corruption is not merely financial. It means dishonest, sinister bribable, mercenary, fake and shady. The Parliament will have to examine all that. Everything to do with this episode. Because the Parliament is supreme,8221; he said.

He questioned the Government8217;s motive of keeping Parliament in the darksaying that Parliament was the ultimate decision-making body. 8220;They are insulting the Parliament. Be it in the United States of America or the United Kingdom, all decisions on national security taken by the Senate or the Parliament. Whey should things be different in India and on this issue,8221; he said.

8220;Everything ends before the Senate armed forces committee. Here the Government is saying that national security will be affected if everything is brought out in open. Parliament is the ultimate civilian supremacy,8221; he added.

On Harinder Singh8217;s alleged apology,8217; Bhagwat said that firstly no apology was made to him and secondly there is no provision of apology in the Army, Navy or the Air Force Act. 8220;Once a mistake has been made, the guilty person has to pay for it and be punished. And apologising is admission of guilt. Here instead of punishing Harinder Singh, the Government is rewarding him,8221; Bhagwat said.

On his allegedly being a national security risk. Bhagwat said national security has bothexternal and internal dimensions.

8220;It has many facets like internal harmony, law and order, restraint practised by a civilised society, protection of the weaker sections, among others.8221; He asked how was he a risk. The risk, according to Bhagwat is communalising and politicising the armed forces and this, he said, is destroying national security.

8220;Factionalism is slowly creeping into the armed forces and unfortunately is being encouraged. The armed forces are the last institution of the state and nobody should be permitted to destroy it,8221; he added.