Army troop movement: Daily stands by its report

NEW DELHI: The Indian Express newspaper said on Wednesday that it stands by its report "The January night Raisina Hill was spooked: Two key Army units moved towards Delhi without notifying Govt."

The report had led to an all-round denial from the government, with both the PM and defence minister rubbishing it as alarmist, and factually inaccurate. The newspaper, however, said that "report is a meticulous reconstruction and a very sober interpretation of the movement of two key Army units towards New Delhi on the night of January 16-17."

The story was "investigated over six weeks" by a team, led by the daily's editor-in-chief, and "draws on highly credible sources", the newspaper said.

The newspaper said neither the Army nor the ministry of defence "explained why the ministry of defence wasn't notified, why the troops were suddenly asked to go back and what explanation was offered, if any, by the Army to the Government."

"There are some in the government and outside who have questioned the report, even calling it "disturbing" and "baseless". All this, even those comments that attribute false motives, are, we believe, part of a necessary debate," the report added.