A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said if the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways has done something, "it is for the PM to act and the top court can't pass any order".

 

The bench also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy declined to entertain the plea.

 

The top court order came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to declare Singh in breach of his oath for his recent statements on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). According to the plea, the former army chief allegedly claimed that India transgressed (the LAC) many times, as per its perception, and the Chinese had taken advantage of the statement made and used it to blame India for encroaching upon its perceived territory.

 

The bench told the counsel appearing for the petitioner, "If you don't like a statement by a minister, you file a plea and ask him to be removed".

 

The counsel insisted that Singh had made statements against the army. The bench told the counsel, "Are you a scientist? Use your energies to find a solution. If he is not good, prime minister will look into it."

 

"The petitioner state, Union Minister VK Singh's comments that India transgressed more frequently across the Line of Actual Control than the People's Liberation Army has not only given China a rare opportunity but also has contradicted India's long-held official position on the subject," said the plea.

 

The petition was filed by social activist, Chandrasekaran Ramaswamy, who cited various events where Singh made controversial statements.