The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly would hold a special discussion on Saturday centered on former Army chief Gen (retd) VK Singh who has allegedly sponsored a J&K Minister in 2010 to topple the Omar Abdullah-led coalition Government.
While both Gen Singh and J&K Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir have denied the allegations, the issue raised political storm in the embattled State prompting the ruling National Conference (NC) to bring a privilege motion in the House against the former Army chief. The mainstream politicians in Kashmir were further irked when Gen Singh revealed that the Army has been funding J&K Ministers since the Independence of country.
Besides the privilege motion against Gen Singh, the Assembly Secretariat received notices for discussion on the contentious issue from the main Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and two legislators Harshdev Singh and MY Tarigami.
“Tomorrow (Saturday), we will hold debate. We will discuss anything within the ambit of law,” Speaker Mubarak Gul told the House while announcing debate on VK Singh issue.
He said that he had to study the provisions because the ruling party has brought privilege motion against the former Army chief. “I had the option to refer it to privileges committee but I have now allowed a discussion. Whatever he (Gen Singh) has said, will be discussed,” Gul said.
legislative Council Chairman Amrit Malhotra has referred a similar motion to privileges committee whose decision is pending.
Observers say that the ruling NC opened a front against VK Singh to appease the Congress high command, which is irked by his proximity to BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. The NC raised furore after a Delhi-based newspaper published a leaked defence inquiry report indicating that during Singh’s tenure a Territorial Support Division (TSD) was secretly floated that paid Rs1.19 crore to J&K Minister Hassan Mir for sponsoring a coup against the Omar Government in 2010.
Interestingly, Omar Abdullah did not initiate any action against his Cabinet colleague, who is associated with the Congress. A senior NC Minister Abdur Rahim Rather had warned in the Assembly that Gen Singh would be personally summoned and asked to explain his allegations before the J&K House.
Singh in subsequent interviews and discussions alleged that J&K Ministers have been funded by the Army since the Independence though he elaborated that the nature of funding has not been for political purposes. Eight former
Army Generals have refuted Gen Singh’s allegations, which provided handle to
separatists to whip New Delhi’s policies on Kashmir.