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| Ex-Army Chief shows thumb to J&K Legislature; defends 'army secret fund' remark, blames Defence Minister | | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Dec 13: In utter disregard to the institution of Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, ex-Chief of the Army Staff has obliquely defended 'army secret fund being paid to J&K Legislators for getting certain works done' remark.
Giving a new twist to the tale, Singh has stated that his comments about the legislators of Jammu and Kashmir receiving money from army for certain works were primarily based on the information he received from his colleagues and subordinates. Roping in Defence Minister A.K.Antony in the controversy, Singh has said that whatever comments he made was also result of directives from the superiors he was complying with during the discharge of his duties.
Making it explicit who his superior was, Singh has said that his last posting was as Chief of the Army Staff and his immediate superior was Defence Minister of the Union government. Going little further and again, speaking a politically correct language, Singh has seemingly justified the comments by saying that they were based on documentary evidence available with competent authorities of union government.
He has said that evidence backing his comments is duly recorded, edited and documented by competent authorities. Though he has repeatedly said that his comments were not aimed at lowering dignity of legislators of Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly but has preferred to defend and not express remorse about going public with comments which embarrassed India nationally as well as internationally.
Referring to books already published and wiki-leaks expose, Singh has said that whatever he said was already in the public domain. "I have not spoken anything that was not available in the public domain," Singh has vehemently said. In reply to the breach of privilege notice served upon the ex-Army Chief, he has neither expressed remorse nor regret for having made comments on a national news channel purportedly detrimental to the integrity of legislators of Jammu and Kashmir.
Singh has referred to interview with CNN-IBN where he claims to have clarified the entire issue and defended the institutions of Jammu and Kashmir against the slander that was published by several newspapers as also the electronic media, thereby leaving no ambiguity whatsoever as to the stand I had taken in the alleged television interview. Contents of reply to Breach of Privilege notice addressed to Speaker of Legislative Assembly Mohammed Akbar Lone ostensibly showcase that ex-Army Chief has defended his comments.
He has said that the contents are inaccurate and incorrect to the extent of being misquotes. Singh has said that legislators of Jammu and Kashmir who watched the interview over and again have been misinformed. Singh has sought quashing of the breach of privilege proceedings and demanded that no further proceedings be carried out in the interest of justice.
Privileges committee of Legislative Council had summoned former Indian Army chief General V.K. Singh to appear before it on January 9 in connection with the latter's allegations of payoffs to state ministers and legislators. General Singh had created a stir earlier this year when he told a news channel that ministers and legislators in Jammu and Kashmir had been beneficiaries of Army's secret funds. Former army chief, however, denied having made the allegations when state Legislative Assembly Speaker Mubarak Gul issued him a notice earlier last month. |
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