Wading into the row over former Army Chief V K Singh's statements, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said the retired general will have to suffer "big embarrassment" if he disclosed his advice given to him on counter-insurgency operations in the northeastern state.
A senior Congress leader and three-time chief minister, Gogoi had a word of advice for the retired general saying those who occupy high offices, should maintain secrecy after their retirement and Gen Singh should not have behaved the way he was doing.
"Dignity should be maintained," he told reporters after meeting Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
In a statement that have the potential of raising eyebrows over the former army chief's functioning, Gogoi said Singh, as the then commander of Army's Eastern Command, had met him a few years ago and had given certain advice on counter insurgency operations.
"If I reveal what V K Singh had advised me to do, it would be embarrassment," he said and refused to disclose the nature of advice given by him.
Gen (retd) Singh served as head of Eastern Command from March 2008 to March 31, 2010 before becoming Army Chief.
Gogoi said Singh told him that if the advice was honoured and the plan is executed, it would serve the country's interests. "... But I do not think it was in national interest," he said.
Under attack over reports that attempts were made to topple the Jammu and Kashmir government during his tenure as Army Chief, Gen Singh yesterday claimed that "certain ministers" in the state are given money by the army for "stability" and that this has been going on since independence.
However, facing fire over his statement, Singh today sought to do damage control by saying it was not a bribe but aimed at creating goodwill among people.
