SRINAGAR: The Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly has issued a notice to former Indian Army chief, General V.K. Singh, asking him to explain comments about making payments to state ministers.
The speaker has given the retired General 20 days to reply.
In its recently concluded session the Assembly had passed a one-line resolution against the former General, under fire for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Omar Abdullah’s government when he was in service.
He is reported to have paid money to Ghulam Hassan Mir, the Agriculture Minister in Mr Abdullah’s government, to help in executing the plot. The scheme method is still unknown.
Gen Singh denied the accusations, but told the Times Now channel that the Army paying ministers in Jammu and Kashmir “was nothing new”. “It has been happening since India’s independence,” he said.
“Army transfers money to all the ministers in Jammu & Kashmir … because there are various things to be done and ministers have to do so many things as part of the stabilizing factor in the state and for organizing various activities.”
Gen Singh said “Kashmir is a different issue altogether. A lot of things are done where you do a lot of civic and youth work. For all this, money is needed. A certain amount of money is given for these works. Where is the problem?”
The Chief minister Omar Abdullah reacted strongly to the retired General’s comments saying he had tarnished the image of pro-India political parties in the strife-torn state.
“Elections are round the corner and if the central government wants us to go to people with this bolt on our credibility, we might give whatever explanations. But how much will people buy (the explanation) needs to be seen,” he said.
Legislative Assembly spokesman, in a statement, said the notice against Gen Singh has been issued “in response to a Breach of Privilege Notice given by 15 Ministers/ Members against him.”
The Spokesperson said that Gen Singh has been given 20 days time to explain his position in the matter so that further course of action could be decided under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the J&K Legislative Assembly.
