Govt. decision to remove DRDO chief shouldn't be politicized: BJP

14 Jan 2015 Evaluate

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the government's decision to remove Avinash Chander as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief should not be politicized. BJP spokesperson Nail Kohli said the government is within its rights to take a decision on such matters and added that the Defence Minister has repeatedly said whatever will be done will be done to strengthen India's security requirements and also to modernize our armed forces. As it is evident that we are talking about 'Make in India' and trying to bring manufacturing through the FDI route, there are also news and media reports of lots of delays and cost overruns by the DRDO. The government is the appropriate authority to decide on this. If they have taken a decision, they shouldn't try to politicize it.

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said he had only recommended that Chander be relieved of his post, and that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) had taken the decision to end his tenure. The tenure of the DRDO chief would normally have ended in November, but the previous Union Cabinet had approved a three-year extension to his term, with the additional years being on a contract basis and added that he recommended that a person on contract should not be occupying such a senior position. This senior position should be filled by other eligible senior persons.

Chander had refused to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's decision to abruptly dismiss him from the post of DRDO chief, 15 months before Chander's contract was to end. Chander was Secretary, Defence Research and Development-cum- DRDO Director General, and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister. He had retired on November 30 last year after he turned 64, but was given a contract for 18 months till May 31 next year.

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