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Ex-army chief, killings dominate first day
KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 9/30/2013 11:21:55 PM
SRINAGAR, Sep 30: On expected lines, the Gen VK Singh related issue, killings in Markundal, Shopian and Gool and the twin attacks in Hiranagar and Samba figured on the first day of the autumn session of the state legislature here today.
Rather than getting cornered by the opposition on the disclosures by former army chief, Gen Singh that ministers have been receiving money from army, the ruling National Conference (NC) took an initiative and moved privilege motions against ex- army boss in the legislative assembly and council. Speaker lower house Mubarak Gul told the members that he has received the motion and is yet to read it. “Once I read and examine it, I will get back to you,” he said.
However, chairman upper house Amrit Malhotra referred the motion to privilege committee.
PDP has brought adjournment motion for a thorough discussion on the Gen Singh issue in both the houses.
The developments occurred even as it was the day of obituary references in both the houses.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah and former chief minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed did not attend the first day of the session. However, agriculture minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, who according to an army report had received Rs 1.19 crore from army for destabilising the Omar Abdullah government was present. He was seated between higher education minister Mohammad Akbar Lone and social welfare minister Sakina Ittoo. During the last autumn session Lone was in speaker’s chair and this time it is Mubarak Gul. The seat of the speaker has been slightly re-adjusted this time in the house.
Demoralisation among the legislators because of Gen Singh’s statement was very much visible on their faces. Even as they denied having received money from army, but admitted that the allegations of the ex- army chief have put the credibility of the house and legislators at stake. The concern was expressed by almost all parties from Kashmir. However, Panthers Party (PP) member Harsh Dev Singh opined that the assembly must not go for the privilege motion in a hurry and should decide about it on merit. “You can not punish an innocent person,” he said.
Leaders from treasury and opposition benches demanded a thorough discussion on the issue and speaker agreed to go for such a discussion. Finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather asked as to why Gen Singh is silent now after the allegations. He said the assembly must ensure to bring the former army chief in the house since he has damaged the credibility of the legislators.
While the discussion in the sensitive matter will start any time but the privilege committees of the two houses have to convene separate meeting and examine the motion. Accordingly, they would forward their view to speaker legislative assembly and chairman legislative council. While the Kashmir based parties are likely to support the motion but BJP and Panthers party would oppose it. Congress leaders have given indications that they too would support the motion since Gen Singh has defamed all the governments since 1947.
Interesting, Ghulam Hassan Mir did not speak on the controversial issue but he paid tributes during obituary references to the leaders who recently passed awayy.
In the legislative council, the joint privilege motion by minister for labour, Ajay Sadhotra, Devender Singh Rana and Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy was moved by Sadhotra. Among other things, it states that the “baseless allegation” by Gen Singh, which have been refuted by other former army chiefs, has affected the government working and granting of permission to raise a question of privilege against him is imperative. Rana also did not attend today’s session of the upper house.
PDP filed an adjournment motion in the legislative council and assembly for discussing the killings at Gool, Kishtwar, Shopian and Markundal Bandipora.