India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lodged a protest with President Pranab Mukherjee against the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government's apparent move to appoint the next army chief, sources said Friday.

Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has written to President Mukherjee, seeking a stay on the appointment of the new army chief next month, following media reports that the Indian Defense Ministry has recommended vice chief of the Indian army Lt. General Dalbir Suhag as the next head after incumbent General Bikram Singh retires in July, the sources said.

The BJP has requested the Indian president, also the supreme commander of the armed forces, not to allow the outgoing government to name the next Indian Army chief two months prior to the retirement of the incumbent head, saying it should be left to the next government, the sources said.

Lt. General Dalbir Suhag is accused of involvement in an alleged fake encounter in the northeastern state of Manipur, and former Indian army chief General V.K. Singh, currently contesting the general elections on a BJP ticket, had during his tenure ordered a probe into the incident.