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Parrikar sparks row with "deep assets compromise" aspersions on ex-PMs

by IBNS 23 Jan 2015, 11:12 am

Mumbai/New Delhi, Jan 23 (IBNS) Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar triggered a controversy when at a function to release a publication on Thursday he said that some former Prime Ministers had compromised the country's "deep assets" on national security.

He said: ".. you have to build deep assets. Deep assets are created over 20-30 years. Sadly, there were some prime ministers who compromised deep assets. "
 
Parrikar, who said he cannot divulge the source of the recent incident of a boat coming from Pakistan that blew itself up despite demand of the Opposition, also refused to come up with the names of the PMs he referred to, but with Congress governments ruling the nation mostly, the latter has taken umbrage to the remarks.
 
Congress has reacted sharply. Congress leader Manish Tewari said Parrikar should prove what he said or take back his words with an apology.
 
"This is an extremely grave charge. He has accused former PMs. What does he mean by deep assets? Is it strategic or intelligence assets? He should prove what he said or take it back," said Tewari slamming the defence minister for painting former PMs with a black brush.