Charges baseless: IAF Chief

BEIJING, MAY 23. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A. Y. Tipnis, today termed ``totally baseless'' the charge that the Indian Air Force was blocking the appointment of India's first chief of defence staff (CDS) but admitted that it had ``some reservations'' on the concept.

``The IAF has issued a clarification. I think it is not only a question on which the people are expressing their opinion but I think they are making insinuations which are totally baseless,'' he said when asked to comment on the controversy surrounding the appointment of the CDS.

Air Chief Marshal Tipnis, here on a week-long official visit, said the IAF did have ``some reservations'' over the concept of the CDS. At the same time, he said the IAF had ``never talked about who should be the CDS or who should not be.'' ``It is absolutely puerile to even think of it,'' he said emphasising that he had never even thought of ``disqualifying'' anybody from becoming the CDS.

The controvery has reportedly led to the Navy Chief, Admiral Sushil Kumar, front-runner for the post, withdrawing from the race.

Air Chief Marshal Tipnis said the concept of the CDS, recommended by the Group of Ministers, had to be accepted by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). The Government has decided to keep the appointment of the CDS in abeyance.

Constituted after the K. Subrahmanyam committee submitted its report on the Kargil conflict, the Arun Singh committee suggested the integration of defence headquarters with the Ministry of Defence and appointment of a CDS for coordinated action by the three services.

PLAAF chief for India

Air Chief Marshal Tipnis said China had agreed to send the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) commander to India this year to participate in three major events organised by the IAF, a sign of better Sino-Indian relations.

Cooperative programmes between the two sides would be chalked out ``at the earliest possible opportunity''. The PLAAF Commander, General Liu Shunyao, is expected to visit India in October, leading a delegation to the three major events, postponed earlier in the wake of the Gujarat earthquake.

During the meetings with Chinese officials, the IAF Chief stressed the need to address the differences between the two sides on the basis of mutual accommodation and by taking into account the sensitivities of both sides. Air Marshal Tipnis also visited the sensitive air defence centre which controls the air defence of the Chinese capital.

- PTI

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