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Minister A K Antony here today.
The Prime Minister and Antony held discussions after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting got over, fuelling speculation that the row over the Army chief's age and his retirement came up for discussion. The meeting lasted for 30 minutes.
After the CCS ended, Home Minister P Chidambaram was the first to leave, followed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee after a few minutes. Singh and Antony stayed back to hold this separate meeting.
Media reports have claimed the Army chief has threatened to go to court if the Defence Ministry treats May 10, 1950 as his year of birth instead of his contention that he was born on May 10, 1951.
Defence Ministry sources say the age row is settled and the Army chief will retire in May this year. The exercise to choose General V K Singh's successor is also said to be underway with Lieutenant General Bikram Singh being the front-runner.
The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared a proposal to procure over 450 air-to-air missiles from French firm MBDA. The missiles will be equipped on Mirage 2000 aircraft, according to Defence Ministry sources.
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Lets hope that better sense pevail and problem is resolved amicably. It will be harmful for country's image if it treats its armed forces shabily.
NOW AS THE DEFENCE MINISTRY HAS CLARIFIED THAT THE ARMY CHIEF WILL BE RETIRED IN MAY 2012, HOWEVER IN THE BACKDROP OF THE CONTROVERSARY OVER HIS DATE OF BIRTH AND HIS CONSEQUENT THREAT TO GO COURT THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AMICABLY BY OFFERING HIM THE POST OF A GOVERNOR OR TO APPOINT HIM AS AN AMBASSADOR IN AN IMPORTANT COUNTRY. ALSO THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO LEARN SOME LESSONS FROM THIS INCIDENT.