New Delhi: Army veteran Lt Gen. K.J. Singh (retd) Monday got into a Twitter spat with a user identifying himself as “veteran jawan”, who alleged that Singh had treated jawans as “slaves” and kept a platoon at his home for performing household chores while he was in service.
Singh, a former Western Army Commander, was recently made a state information commissioner by the Haryana government.
The handle, @OROP_for_JAWANS, further alleged that Singh did not check the downgrade of jawans during successive pay commissions while he was in service and also faced a CBI inquiry on serious charges.
Singh refuted the allegations, saying that he never had a platoon, and that he was actually most frugal in his approach.
Also read: Twitter cracks whip on OSINT handles for revealing IAF aircraft positions during Balakot strikes
“I never had platoon & in one secret audit created by my Corps Cdr, I was found 2 b most frugal in running flag staff house. Don’t really need ur certification as I still care & work 4 Jawans. Jai Hind (sic),” he tweeted.
I never had platoon & in one secret audit created by my Corps Cdr, I was found 2 b most frugal in running flag staff house. Don't really need ur certification as I still care & work 4 Jawans. Jai Hind.
— Lt Gen K J Singh (@kayjay34350) July 1, 2019
Singh further said that as an advisor to the Haryana government, he had got the government to accept junior commissioned officers as Grade 2 and gazetted officers and overcame opposition to do so.
“Martyr JCO’s daughter became BDO first time. My Dharma, I work 4 men. U seem 2 follow- destroy officers reputation. Even this thread started on logic & policy. U made it personal. Reduce toxicity(sic),” Singh wrote.
As Advisor,got Govt 2 accept JCOs as Gde 2& Gazzetted offr overcoming opposition. Martyr JCO's daughter became BDO first time. My Dharma, I work 4 men. U seem 2 follow- destroy officers reputation. Even this thread started on logic & policy. U made it personal. Reduce toxicity.
— Lt Gen K J Singh (@kayjay34350) July 2, 2019
ThePrint tried to contact Lt Gen. Singh through calls and messages, but all he said was he’s “away on family holiday”.
The person behind the Twitter handle later identified himself to ThePrint as veteran junior warrant officer (Indian Air Force) Nalin Talwar, national spokesperson of the Saabka Sainik Sangharsh Committee, an organisation fighting for soldiers’ rights.
Asked why he chose to be anonymous on Twitter, Talwar said it is because the handle was created to fight for one rank, one pension for jawans as “no one cared or spoke about them”.
Also read: Mohan Bhagwat & 6 RSS colleagues get Twitter accounts verified in war on fake news
This report has been updated with additional information