The issue of appearance of former Army Chief VK Singh, before the Privileges Committee of the J&K legislative council, has virtually brought coalition partners in the State on collision course.
On Wednesday, the members of the Congress party in the Privileges committee of the J&K legislative council managed to provoke their National Conference counterparts to stage a walkout as they raised the issue of legality on the Constitution of the Privileges Committee with more than five members on the panel.
Meanwhile, former Army Chief VK Singh who was issued summons by the same panel on January 9 in connection with the Privileges Motion moved against him once again failed to appear before the panel.
The members of the J&K legislative Council had moved privileges motion against VK Singh after he made allegations of pay-offs to politicians in the State during an interview to a news channel.
According to official sources, Gen (Retd) VK Singh had not received the summons issued by the panel on January 9, 2014 at his Gurgaon residence.
At the outset of the meeting convened here in the legislative Council complex Chairman Jugal Kishore Sharma tabled a communication written by Prof Bhim Singh on behalf of Gen (Retd) VK Singh. According to the contents of the letter former Army chief had sought fresh date after January 26 from the panel to appear before them. In response National Conference members questioned the chairman whether he has received any authorisation from the former Army chief in support of Prof Bhim Singh.
To satisfy the National Conference members the chairman contacted Prof Bhim Singh and directed him to appear before the panel to clarify his position. While the issue was still being debated, one of the Congress members on the panel Ravinder Sharma raised the issue related to constitutional legality of the panel. Quoting Business rules of the legislative Council Ravinder Sharma claimed that Privileges Committee should not have more than five members and in this case the committee consisted of six members.
He desired that the matter be referred to the Chairman of the Council for his opinion afresh and till then the issue of Privilege Motion moved against former Army chief be deferred. As sharp differences surfaced between members of the Privileges Committee belonging to the National Conference and Congress the National Conference members staged a walk out demanding issuance of Non Bailable warrant (NBW) against former army Chief for non-appearance.
To persuade the members of the panel the chairman of the committee Jugal Kishore Sharma referred the matter to the chairman of the council Amrit Malhotra to give his ruling over the constitution of the Privileges committee. Speaking to media persons outside the council complex DS Rana of National Conference questioned the stand taken by the congress member over the issue of legality of the panel.