Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 20: National Conference out-maneuvered Congress by forcing retd General VK Singh to appear before the privilege committee on Jan 22. The Congress did salvage by insisting that the matter would end there, but even on it the NC had remained non committal.
National Conference managed to score over Congress on the contentious issue of personal appearance of the General Singh on Jan 22 before the Committee. This is seen as major political boost, in the perception of the NC, and a set-back for the Congress.
The reason for Congress getting out-maneuvered was that its only member, Jugal Kishore, who is also the chairman of the Committee, was present while NC was present in its full strength of three members. The other two members of the Congress GN Monga and Ravinder Sharma are in Delhi attending to their relatives undergoing treatment there.
"In the last meeting on Jan 9, it was Monga who played an important role in ensuring that a harsh decision is not taken on Gen Singh. This time even he was not present. And Jugal alone could not withstand the pressure of NC members," said a senior Congress Minister, wishing not to be named.
The Congress sources said that NC made good use of the absence of Monga and Ravinder to its advantage.
The appearance of General Singh, which even now seems tentative as he does have legal course of replying again, would give NC to use it as a political tool to be used in the Kashmir, but in the process it had to an extent hurt the Congress, its coalition partner.
Congress sources said that the game plan of NC is to use the appearance of the General before the Committee to project it in a manner that Army has appeared before the people of the Kashmir. NC would use it as if it has made even the former head of one of the largest armies in the world to bow before the people of the Kashmir.
It is against the standing and political interest of the Congress. According to sources, the Congress has now categorically told NC if the General appears before the Committee then there shouldn't be any more dragging of the issue and it should end there. However, sources said even to it the NC has remained non-committal. |
