Don't put words in my mouth, didn't mention CAG report even once: Nirmala Sitharaman

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday denied media reports that stated that she had dismissed the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, which said that the defence forces had ammunition that would last only 20 days in the event of a war.

On Sunday, Sitharaman had reportedly described the CAG report as "factually wrong" and asserted that the defence forces did not have any dearth of ammunition. However, the newly-appointed Defence Minister clarified to reporters on Monday that she "did not mention the CAG report even once".

"When I met with the reporters, there was a question about the preparedness of the army and if there was a lack of ammunition in the defence forces. I told them that the purchase of arms and ammunition is a continuous process and we often feel that there is lack of something or the other and that we have to fill this gap. Since it is a continuous process, there shouldn't be any discussion which is devoid of facts," Sitharaman told reporters in Gandhinagar on Monday.

She added that she did not mention the CAG report even once during the interaction with the reporters.

"Not even once did I talk about the CAG report. Don't put words in my mouth. I am shocked to see media reports claiming that I described the CAG report was fact-less. I would appeal to all media houses to report only the facts," Sitharaman said.

The CAG had said in its report that the defence forces had ammunition that could last only 20 days in the event of a war, instead of the minimum requirement of 40 days. The report also criticised the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for supplying inadequate quantities of ammunition to the Indian Army since March 2013.

When asked about the CAG report on Sunday, Sitharaman was reported to have said that the facts in the CAG report were wrong and that it was pointless to debate on the matter.

"After taking charge of the defence ministry, I have discussed the issue with senior officers and experts. Purchas of weapons for the defence forces is a continuous process," she is believed to have said.

Sitharaman added that the fulfilment of the requirements of the defence forces was her first priority as the Defence Minister.