India pulls up Army chief for accepting U.S. military honor without permission
NEW DELHI, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government has pulled up the country's Army chief General Bikram Singh for accepting a U. S. military award without its approval, local media reported Saturday.
The Indian Defence Ministry has sought an explanation from General Singh on why he accepted the 'Legion of Merit' -- the sixth highest American military honor -- during his visit to the U. S. from December 2 to 5 without prior clearance from the government, The Times of India newspaper reported.
The spokesman for the Defense Ministry, Sitanshu Kar, has refused to comment on the matter.
The Indian government came to know about General Singh being conferred with the award through media reports, the newspaper said.
As per norms, any Indian defense forces official has to seek permission from the government to accept foreign honors.