All felt that Bhagwat should not be reinstated, despite disapproval of the manner in which he was dismissed. Officers said that given the controversy surrounding Bhagwat and the manner in which charges and counter-charges have been publicly traded, it would have a detrimental effect on the service.

Added to this, a Navy Chief has been appointed and there cannot be two admirals in the force. Also, as several vice-admirals are reported to be unhappy with Bhagwat, reinstatement would add to administrative and functional problems.

Also, as per law, dismissal can be reversed only by a superior authority if procedural irregularity is detected. In this case, the Navy chief had been dismissed by the highest authority -- the President. Withdrawing presidential ``pleasure"and then restoring it is against conventions.

``Reinstating Bhagwat is not possible as it would upset the naval chain of command," Lt Gen Harwant Singh (retd), former Deputy Chief of Army Staff, said and added ``the government can compensate him in some other manner. The Defence minister, in his statements, too, has not been able to give any concrete reasons for his dismissal," he said.

Maj Gen Avtar Singh (retd), former Director-General, Resettlement, opposed reinstatement. "The way he has gone about things and washed dirty linen in public sets a bad precedent. Reports also mentioned that he has played with the careers of some officers by tampering with their annual confidential reports, which reflects on his integrity," he added. ``A service chief should be totally above board,"Maj Gen Singh remarked.

``There is no legal provision for Bhagwat to be reinstated," said Col H. P. Singh (retd). ``The Navy cannot have two admirals at the same time. Reinstating Bhagwat would mean demoting the present Navy Chief, which cannot be done," he reasoned. The main crux of the problem is that Bhagwat disobeyed the orders of the Cabinet, which is unbecoming of a soldier," he added.

Col K. D. Pathak (retd) reasoned ``Bhagwat cannot and should not be reinstated. Leaving a job after a controversy and then trying to retrieve the situation is not correct. Reinstatement is unprecedented in military history ... certainly never in India. Even two US generals who had been sacked and then reinstated went home themselves after sometime. If Bhagwat is offered reinstatement, he should walk out of it in an honourable way."

``Admiral Sushil Kumar has already been appointed as the Navy Chief and reinstatement would lead to a clash of interests," opined Cmde R. N. Das Gupta (retd). As several vice-admirals had filed against Bhagwat for redressal of grievances "it will affect Navy functioning if he returns. There are no legal provisions; it looks impossible from all angles," he said.

Wg Cdr R. P. Saini (retd) said, ``reinstating Bhagwat would set a bad precedent ... do more harm than rectify the damage." Stating that after the President had withdrawn his pleasure, taking him back would be a joke. "Reinstatement would politicise the office of the service chief and seeing their service chief a pawn in the hands of others would demoralise lower ranks."

``Bhagwat cannot be reinstated now because another officer has already been appointed in his place and the Navy cannot have two chiefs," remarked Brig N. S. Sandhu (retd). ``If it is felt that the sacking is a mistake, Bhagwat can be compensated by being given a suitable appointment,"he suggested.