Post Autumn Session, Privilege Committee to meet over V.K. Singh Issue

KL Report

SRINAGAR

The Privilege Committee on has put the issue of Army Chief General VK Singh (retired) in connection with the TSD funding remarks on hold and has decided to look into it after the autumn session of the Legislative Assembly scheduled to commence from August 25.

Privilege committee chairman Mohammad Rafiq Shah while talking to KNS said that the meeting of Privilege Committee was held in the recent past and that the next meet over the issue of V.K. Singh shall be held after the assembly session is over.

He stated further that the file earlier was sent to the chairman of the house committee so that final call over the issue could be taken and that the chairman while using his discretionary power has allowed the proceedings over the remarks made by V.K. Singh over the state politics.

Meanwhile, sources said that there was a difference of opinion between the members of the privilege committee in the recent past which became one of the major reasons that meet was postponed.

VK Singh, who has been inducted in Modi-led NDA government as the Minister of State for Development of the North Eastern Region, triggered controversy during an interview with a private New Delhi based television channel when he revealed that some senior Unionist politicians are being paid by the army to keep Kashmir pacified and integrated with Indian union.

The state assembly immediately after Gen (retd) Singh’s remarks witnessed ruckus with both NC and PDP demanding probe into the allegations levelled by former army chief. Later, ruling National Conference members Ajay Sadhotra, Devender Singh Rana and Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy had jointly moved a privilege motion against V.K.Singh.

The newly-constituted privilege committee, which was formed after the expiry of previous panel’s term, has so far met thrice but it has not taken up the motion for discussion.

Former Army Chief V K Singh on January 22 failed to appear before the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council for a second time in connection with the privilege motion against him even as the Assembly rejected his plea for quashing it.

A major face-off took place between ruling National Conference (NC) and Congress members over the issue of the legality of the privileges committee of the Council. During the proceedings of the Committee, Ravinder Sharma of Congress termed constitution of the Committee as illegal because he said it is supposed to have five members and not six. Ruling NC staged a walkout from the proceedings of the Committee in protest and demanded issuance of non-bailable warrant against Gen Singh for non-appearance.

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