Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Oct 9: Speaker of Legislative Assembly, Mubarak Gul, today said he will summon former Army chief General (Retired) V K Singh to explain his position about payoffs to politicians in the State.
As the Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) came into the Well of the House and disrupted proceedings several times, demanding time frame for summoning Singh, Speaker in order to restore order in the Assembly said: “I will summon him very soon.”
Earlier soon after the Question Hour was over, the Speaker announced: “Privilege motion (against VK Singh) is under my consideration. I will write a letter to him about his comments and facts about his allegations. Opportunity will be given to him to explain his position. If need arises, I will bring him to this House and call a special session.”
The Speaker’s decision was not contested by any of the members of the House but ruckus began when Law Minister, Mir Saifullah, stood up and demanded summoning of the former Army chief. “We want summon be issued from Assembly Secretariat and his statement be recorded.”
The CPI(M) MLA, Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami wanted the confusion to be cleared as the Speaker and Law Minister’s statements were contradictory. “There is huge difference between your statement and Law Minister’s statement. Are you summoning him here and recording the statement or sending a letter to him”? asked Tarigami.
Instead of waiting for the Speaker’s answer, Law Minister stood up and said: “We want that he should be summoned here and the statement be recorded.”
The PDP MLAs led by A R Veeri wanted that the former Army chief be summoned to Assembly. However, the Speaker replied: “If I feel that I need to summon him I will do that.”
This led to commotion in the House as NPP and BJP members rose to their feet and demanded that the Speaker should not change his decision. While pointing at PDP and NC legislators, the members of the NPP and BJP shouted in the House: “Stop directing the chair.”
Rural Development Minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar stood up and demanded that the General be summoned here. PDP MLA Peerzada Mansoor in response to NPP and BJP’s demand said: “He (Singh) is a civilian now. He should be summoned.”
The contradictory statements from the ruling party and the Speaker infuriated the Opposition leader Mehbooba Mufti. “These are contradictory statements. You have double standards. It is because of your double standards that New Delhi is doubting us. Let you give up these double standards. It is time for correcting yourself. At one hand you want to keep Congress in good humour while on the other hand you want to summon him (Singh). Tell me are you summoning him or not. Yes or No?” asked Mehbooba to Speaker. “It is my decision. I will give him a chance”, the Speaker replied.
PDP MLAs Abdul Gaffar Sofi and Veeri demanded that VK Singh be summoned and alleged that NC has double standards. MLA Engineer Rashid also wanted that the former Army chief should be summoned for his revelations.
The NPP and BJP MLAs took to their feet and shouted that Speaker’s decision was right. In the middle of commotion, the Speaker told the legislators who were in the Well of House that he will not change his decision. Sensing the mood of the legislators, he adjourned the House for 10 minutes.
As soon as the House re-assembled, pandemonium again broke out for another 20 minutes before the Speaker adjourned the House for a second time for half an hour but the House re-assembled in 20 minutes again.
As the proceedings resumed, the Speaker called for tabling of bills and other listed business before the House but the Opposition PDP members again stormed the well. Engineer Rashid and NPP and BJP MLAs also stormed into the Well of the House.
Amidst din, the House approved extension of time for presenting reports of various Select Committees till the end of the next session.
Mehbooba suggested that the House take a vote on whether to summon former Army chief or seek an explanation from him through a letter. However, Gul said there was no need for voting on the issue.
The PDP members, however, pressed that the Speaker set a period of one month for summoning the Army chief.
“I may do it even before that. Any communication from the Speaker is a summon,” Gul said in response to PDP members asking him to summon the former Army chief within a period of one month.
The Speaker said he will call a special session of the Assembly if need arises.
Gul said the resolution passed by the Assembly on Monday has already been sent to the Centre, while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also written a letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
The Assembly passed a unanimous resolution demanding a credible probe into the allegations made by Gen Singh.
The BJP and National Panthers Party (NPP) members also rushed to the Well of the House urging the Speaker not to change his earlier ruling in which he had said that he will write a letter to the former Army chief seeking an explanation from him on his controversial remarks.
The MLAs of PDP, BJP and NPP shouted slogans in the Well of the House and there was commotion leading to adjournment of the Assembly sine die.
Earlier, the House extended the time for presentation of report of Select Committee on Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious places (management and regulation) Bill, 2009 upto the last day of the next session.
It also extended time for presentation of the report of Joint Select Committee on Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition of conversion of Agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes bill, 2011.
In the meantime, Tarigami and People’s Democratic Forum (PDF’s) MLA Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen in a statement issued here demanded that Privilege Motion against former former Army chief should be referred to Privilege Committee of the Legislative Assembly.
Tarigami and Mr Yaseen said the Speaker should take the sense of the House into consideration while disposing of the Privilege Motion moved against Singh. They also sought that confusion be cleared on different statements towards the motion. They said a Privilege Committee stands already constituted and the motion should be referred to it with the direction to summon Singh.
The Legislative Council today also passed a unanimous resolution on the pattern of Legislative Assembly asking the Centre to conduct a “time-bound and transparent” probe into the charges levelled by V K Singh against Ministers of the State.
The resolution was passed at the end of a two-hour debate on Singh’s allegation that the Army has been paying mainstream politicians since 1947.
“This House unanimously resolves that the allegations made by Gen (retd) V K Singh be inquired in a time-bound and transparent manner by Government of India,” said Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister of Finance.
While concluding the discussion, Rather said Singh’s allegations have caused enormous damage to the democratic process in the State. “The former Army General VK Singh’s statements have brought shame to the Indian Army and to the democratic institutions. His allegations should not be trusted because he himself contradicted his statements,” the Minister said.
“However, the allegations have not been denied by Government of India, so it gives them authenticity. GoI has no option than to take action against VK Singh,” Rather said
Rather said the privilege motion notice given by the members of the Upper House was not “an ordinary motion”. “We (the House members) can issue non-bailable warrant against him because we have those powers.”
Rather said following these allegations, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah immediately took serious note of the issue and on September 25 wrote a letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to express concerns of the legislators of the State and sought a credible and transparent probe in the matter.
Earlier, as the discussion was started by LC Chairman Amrit Malhotra, 11 members took part in it.
The NC members who participated in the discussion today including Bashir Ahmad Veeri, Abdul Majid Bhat, Vijay Bakaya, Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, Ali Mohammad Dar, Javed Rana, and G. Q. Pardesi stuck to their Party’s demand of “calling VK Singh to the House so that members ask him question.”
Congress member Naresh Gupta said VK Singh has “lost his mental balance”.
Other members who spoke in the discussion include Rafiq Shah, Mohammad Muzaffar Parray, GN Monga, Syed Asgar Ali, BR Kundal, Nurboo Gialchan and Ravinder Kumar Sharma.
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