File photo of Admiral DK Joshi with AK Antony after the Sindhurakshak sank last August
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Naval Chief D K Joshi quit on Wednesday evening after an acrimonious exchange with Defence Minister A K Antony over Wednesday's fire on board submarine Sindhuratna that left six sailors injured and two missing.
While the defence minister -- who had accused the Navy in August last year of frittering away national resources after a series of blasts sunk submarine Sindhurakshak --sought an explanation from Joshi, the naval chief blamed the ageing fleet for the mishaps and said the only solution was quick replacements.
The defence minister, however, was not satisfied with the reply and wanted to know the reasons behind the mishaps taking place under Joshi's charge. At this point, Joshi said that if the minister thought it was his leadership responsible for the mishaps then he would like to step down.
Highly placed sources said Defence Secretary R K Mathur was also present at this meeting and he too posed pointed questions to Joshi, stopping short of blaming him for the accidents.
Joshi sent his resignation soon after returning to his office and it was promptly accepted.
Former naval officers while appreciating Joshi's decision to own moral responsibility for the mishaps and quitting said the civil leadership too cannot escape the blame. "The naval chief is not directly responsible for the mishaps. It's a fact that subs with the Indian Navy are old and ageing. Both Sidhurakshak and Sindhuratna were extensively retrofitted. Whose responsibility is it to find replacements," said a former navy chief who did not wish to be identified.
Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi took over as the 21st Chief of Naval Staff from Adm Nirmal Verma on August 21, 2012.
A specialist in anti-submarine warfare, it's ironical the way his career ended. In his service spanning nearly 38 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments, including commanding guided missile corvette INS Kuthar, guided missile destroyer INS Ranvir and aircraft carrier INS Viraat.
Meanwhile, the defence minister is likely to cancel a programme on Saturday wherein Shore Based Test Facility designed and built by Aeronautical Development Agency at the INS Hansa, Goa was to be inaugurated.
While the defence minister -- who had accused the Navy in August last year of frittering away national resources after a series of blasts sunk submarine Sindhurakshak --sought an explanation from Joshi, the naval chief blamed the ageing fleet for the mishaps and said the only solution was quick replacements.
The defence minister, however, was not satisfied with the reply and wanted to know the reasons behind the mishaps taking place under Joshi's charge. At this point, Joshi said that if the minister thought it was his leadership responsible for the mishaps then he would like to step down.
Highly placed sources said Defence Secretary R K Mathur was also present at this meeting and he too posed pointed questions to Joshi, stopping short of blaming him for the accidents.
Joshi sent his resignation soon after returning to his office and it was promptly accepted.
Former naval officers while appreciating Joshi's decision to own moral responsibility for the mishaps and quitting said the civil leadership too cannot escape the blame. "The naval chief is not directly responsible for the mishaps. It's a fact that subs with the Indian Navy are old and ageing. Both Sidhurakshak and Sindhuratna were extensively retrofitted. Whose responsibility is it to find replacements," said a former navy chief who did not wish to be identified.
Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi took over as the 21st Chief of Naval Staff from Adm Nirmal Verma on August 21, 2012.
A specialist in anti-submarine warfare, it's ironical the way his career ended. In his service spanning nearly 38 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments, including commanding guided missile corvette INS Kuthar, guided missile destroyer INS Ranvir and aircraft carrier INS Viraat.
Meanwhile, the defence minister is likely to cancel a programme on Saturday wherein Shore Based Test Facility designed and built by Aeronautical Development Agency at the INS Hansa, Goa was to be inaugurated.
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