AS RIFT APPEARS BETWEEN TOP ECHELON, ARMY CHIEF APPOINTS A MEDIATOR

NEW DELHI: Differences between a top army commander and his second-in-command came to light on Monday, with army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane nominating a senior lieutenant general to iron out the rift between the two senior officers, people familiar with the developments said on the condition of anonymity.

The differences — rare in the army’s top echelons — between the head of the Jaipur-based South Western Command and his chief of staff relate to roles and responsibilities of various offices in the command headquarters, the officials said, without elaborating on the exact nature of the ongoing tussle between the two lieutenant generals. There was no official word from the army on the development.

The South Western Command is headed by Lieutenant General Alok Kler, an armoured corps officer, and his second-in-command is Lieutenant General KK Repswal, who is from the Corps of Engineers.

After receiving representations from both the three-star officers, Naravane nominated the army’s vice chief Lieutenant General SK Saini to look into the matter and submit a detailed report with measures to streamline the functioning of the command headquarters, the officials said.

“Differences of opinion at that level can hinder day-to-day functioning and decision making. The fact-finding mission will hopefully resolve the matter,” the officials said. The South Western Command has around 130,000 soldiers and is responsible for guarding India’s border with Pak in Rajasthan & Punjab.

LT GEN SK SAINI ASKED TO SUBMIT A REPORT WITH MEASURES TO STREAMLINE THE FUNCTIONING OF THE COMMAND HQ