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Air Marshal M S Sekhon, Air Officer Commanding-in-chief of the Southern Air Command, has been put in an embarrassing position by the publication in newspapers of a letter in which he sought a top politician's help to further his career.
In the letter dated October 22, 2001, Air Marshal M S Sekhon had requested the then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to push his case for appointment as chief of the Western Air Command (WAC) while drawing attention to their common religion.
The senior IAF officer wanted Badal to persuade Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to appoint him as the commander of the WAC in December 2001 when a change of guard was due.
"I am most qualified and experienced to command the WAC and I will be able to tackle J&K and Pakistan as required by the government," Sekhon claimed in the letter.
"With Akalpurukh's blessings and your help, I can become the chief of air staff of the Indian Air Force one day," Sekhon told Badal in the letter.
However, the lobbying proved futile as the job went to Air Marshal V K Bhatia.
Sekhon, who is stationed at Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), is at present in New Delhi in connection with an inquiry.
Sources said Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy called up Sekhon on Tuesday and sought an explanation going so far as to hint that the latter should put in his papers.
According to the sources, Air Headquarters has taken a serious view of the issue and expects Sekhon to put in his papers within the next few days.
"If he procrastinates, his explanation would set off disciplinary proceedings," a senior IAF official said.
Coincidentally, Sekhon is heading the court of inquiry into the firing on an AN 32 aircraft carrying Air Marshal V K Bhatia.
The inquiry, which has exposed gaps in intelligence gathering and major lapses on the part of the aircraft crew, including the Air Marshal Bhatia, is likely to be temporarily delayed.
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