Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 20: Ruling National Conference today had its say in the Legislative Council Privilege Committee (LCPC), which decided to go ahead with its earlier decision to summon former Army chief Gen VK Singh as two members of the Congress failed to make it to the meeting called by LCPC chairman and Congress leader Jugal Kishore Sharma, former Minister
Gen Singh now faced non-bailable warrants if he didn’t appear before the Privilege Committee on January 22.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the National Conference had the last laugh in the LCPC meeting called by Mr Sharma two days ahead of Gen Singh’s appearance as two members of the Congress (in the Panel)—Ravinder Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Monga—didn’t turn up for the meeting. Mr Sharma had eventually called the meeting to get summons against the former Army chief revoked in the wake of letter submitted by one of his representatives to Legislative Council Chairman Amrit Malhotra on January 10.
Sources said Mr Sharma was left wandering and was unable to force his decision as all three National Conference members of the LCPC including Devender Singh Rana, Ali Mohammad Dar and Showkat Hussain Ganaie were present in the meeting while he was the lone Congress representative in the absence of Ravinder Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Monga.
The LCPC has three members each from the two ruling coalition partners—National Conference and Congress.
The LCPC had on December 8 summoned Gen Singh to appear before it on January 9 to reply to the queries on his allegations that the Army had paid Jammu and Kashmir Ministers. While Gen Singh didn’t appear, one of his representatives tried to handover a letter of the former Army chief to one of the Council officials, which was not accepted. The next day, Gen Singh’s representative personally delivered the letter to the Council Chairman.
“In the context of the letter and an inquiry ordered by Mr Malhotra into the Council official’s refusal to receive the letter, the LCPC Chairman had convened today’s meeting with a view to get the summon against the former Army chief scrapped,’’ sources said but added that this couldn’t materialize as the National Conference insisted on personal appearance of Gen Singh on January 22 as per the previous LCPC decision of January 9.
The Congress was unable to force its decision due to absence of its two members.
Worthwhile to mention here that PCC (I) president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz had said that there was no need to summon Gen Singh personally as he had already denied the charges.
Sources said the LCPC reportedly observed that the former Army chief’s letter, which Mr Malhotra had handed over to the LCPC chairman, had been written by his Advocate.
“It was a letter written by the Advocate not on behalf of the former Army chief but in his individual capacity. Moreover, it had been mentioned in the letter that the LCPC could collect Compact Disc (CD) from the Assembly Secretariat, where it had been submitted earlier,’’ sources said, adding that Gen Singh should have provided the CD to the LCPC.
On January 9, the LCPC had issued summons to Gen Singh through Haryana Home Secretary and Director General of Police for appearing before it on January 22 after he didn’t appear on the due date. Sources said the LCPC would explore further options including issuance of non-bailable warrants if Gen Singh didn’t appear again.
However, Gen Singh’s counsel had assured Mr Malhotra on telephone that the former Army chief was in Tamil Nadu on January 9 and would appear before the Council positively on next day of summon.
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