No rift between Army Chief and government: Pranab Mukherjee

KOLKATA: Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday dismissed speculation of a rift between Defence Minister A K Antony and Army Chief General V K Singh.

"There is no difference between them. It has been already explained by the defence minister (Antony) on the floor of the house," Mukherjee told mediapersons here.

Mukherjee's comments came in the backdrop of efforts by Singh and the central government to defuse talks on any rift between them.

Meanwhile, DRDO chief V K Saraswat said that performance of Tatra trucks was outstanding.

While General Singh on Friday sounded conciliatory, blaming "rogue elements" for perceived differences with the government, Antony said all the three defence chiefs "enjoyed the confidence" of the government.

The controversy started after the army chief alleged that he was offered bribe to clear a defence purchase and, in a leaked letter to the prime minister, pointed out gaps in India's defence preparedness, which prompted the opposition to demand the sacking of both Singh and Antony.

BEML on Friday strongly defended its supply of all-terrain Tatra trucks to the Indian army in the face of allegations of kickbacks leveled by the Army Chief.

"Can you compare an Ambassador car with a Benz car? The price is high because the quality is high," said BEML chairman and managing director VRS Natarajan responding to allegations that the trucks were overpriced and obsolete. "These are all-terrain, all-weather vehicles with a flexible axle. How can you compare prices for something no one else makes?"