Troop movement was routine: Ministry of Defence

NEW DELHI: The government has for the first time clarified that the controversial movement of troops towards Delhi in mid-January was "routine" for which no permission was required from the defence ministry.

Defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, who appeared before the parliamentary standing committee on defence, told the panel that the movement of troops towards Delhi was a routine drill and no standard operating procedures were violated as it did not require permission from the government, sources said.

A report in a leading English daily had said the Army had moved two units towards New Delhi without notifying the government on January 16-17, only some hours after Army Chief VK Singh went to SC against the government on the issue of his date of birth.