“Admiral D.K. Joshi was one of the best Naval Chiefs the country has had. The government’s decision to accept his resignation will lower the morale of the Navy,” former Navy Chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat said in Mumbai on Thursday.
“The government drove him into resigning by attacking him and demanding explanations. Such incidents have been happening for years. The Navy Chief cannot be held responsible. Did the government demand the resignation of the Army Chief for the deaths in Kargil?” he said.
“The government has shown no grace even in the manner of accepting the resignation. They accepted the resignation with immediate effect. They could have said they accept it with utmost regret. They accepted his resignation in five minutes. Is this the way things are done,” he asked.
According to the former Navy Chief the final responsibility for such mishaps lies with the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister. “They should be held responsible in every way.”
The government had no choice but to appoint Admiral Joshi because he had impeccable credentials and an excellent service record, Admiral Bhagwat said. “They could not stop him from becoming Chief. They thought he would fall in line but that did not happen.”
“The bottom line is that the government wants to appoint a pliant chief who has been implicated in some scandal and cannot speak up. They don’t want a straightforward person,” he said.