Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 22: Amid heated arguments between National Conference and Congress members in the Legislative Council Privilege Committee (LCPC), all three NC members in the Panel walked out of the Committee as Congress questioned legality of the Committee and refused to issue non-bailable warrants against former Army chief Gen VK Singh, who failed to appear before the Committee for second consecutive time to reply to pay-offs allegations against Jammu and Kashmir Ministers.
LCPC Chairman Jugal Kishore Sharma, former Minister and senior Congress leader, later referred the issue of legality of the Privilege Committee to Legislative Council Chairman Amrit Malhotra for his verdict. As the LCPC would remain in abeyance till Mr Malhotra gave his verdict, Gen Singh has heaved a sigh of relief as the Panel didn’t issue any fresh summon for his personal appearance as was done in the previous meeting on January 9.
Three members of the ruling National Conference in the LCPC-Devender Singh Rana, former Political Advisor to Chief Minister, Ali Mohammad Dar and Showkat Hussain Ganaie staged a walk-out of the Committee after the LCPC Chairman refused to concede their demand for issuance of non-bailable warrants against Gen Singh for his second time defiance of the summons issued to him by the Committee.
Mr Malhotra told the Excelsior that National Panthers Party (NPP) leader Prof Bhim Singh appeared before him this morning as counsel for the former Army chief and stated that Gen Singh has not been intimated about January 22 having been fixed as date for his appearance before the Privilege Committee. Bhim Singh submitted a letter to Mr Malhotra on behalf of Gen Singh seeking any other date for his appearance after January 26.
A copy of the letter had also been addressed to the LCPC chairman.
At 2.30 pm when the LCPC met at the Legislative Council Secretariat, its Chairman Jugal Kishore Sharma apprised the members about the letter submitted by Bhim Singh to him as well as Mr Malhotra stating that he hadn’t been served with any summons for his appearance on January 22 and that he had come to know only through newspapers that he had been called to appear before the LCPC.
NC member Devender Singh Rana wanted to see the `Vakalatnama’ or authorisation letter of Gen Singh given to Bhim Singh for appearing before the Council Chairman and writing letter on his behalf. The NC member wanted to know whether Bhim Singh appeared as a counsel of Gen Singh or it was his friendly appearance.
Jugal Kishore said Bhim Singh is himself a former member of the Upper House as well as a senior Advocate and he shouldn’t be doubted as a genuine representative of the former Army chief.
As skirmishes between the NC and Congress, the two coalition partners in the State Government, were on, another Congress member and Advocate Ravinder Sharma, who had missed the last meeting of the Privilege Committee due to illness of his wife, raised a legal point saying under Rule 257 of Rules of Procedure of House, the LCPC should have only five members as against the present six and, therefore, the composition of the Committee itself was illegal.
“Under the Rule, the Privilege Committee can have five members only while here we have six members, which means composition of the Panel was illegal and the matter was required to be referred to the Legislative Council Chairman, who has set up the Committee,” Mr Sharma said drawing strong protests from all three NC members.
The NC members charged the Congress leaders with raking up the issue of legality of the Privilege Committee “only to shield the former Army chief” saying the Congress members didn’t take up the same issue while debate other privilege motions as the Panel was in place for past quite sometime now.
“Now, when it has come to the appearance of Gen Singh, the Congress members are raising the issues, which have nothing to do with privilege of the House,” one of the NC members said and charged a Congress member in the LCPC with raking up the issue on the directions of PCC (I) chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz.
Asserting that Bhim Singh had no authorisation letter from the former Army chief, Mr Rana stressed for voting on issuance of warrants against the former Army chief as he has failed to appear before the Privilege Committee twice. As the Congress insisted on its stand, Mr Rana called for voting in the Privilege Committee for issuing warrants against Gen Singh.
However, LCPC Chairman Jugal Kishore and his colleague Ravinder Sharma insisted that a question mark has been raised over legality of the Privilege Committee. Therefore, they said, till the Legislative Council Chairman settled the issues, the Privilege Committee can’t proceed ahead.
NC, however, was of the view that the Chairman has powers to nominate any number of members to the LCPC.
With Congress including the Privilege Committee Chairman insisting on their stand, both sides had heated arguments as NC pressed for issuance of warrants against Gen Singh for defying the summons twice and Congress in no mood to accept the NC’s version.
All three National Conference members then staged a walkout from the meeting.
LCPC Chairman Jugal Kishore referred the issue of legality of the Committee raised by his party leader Ravinder Sharma to the Legislative Council Chairman along with presence of Mr Rana as a member of the Panel on the ground that he was mover of the privilege motion against Gen Singh in the Council. Mr Rana had moved the motion in the Council in the last session in October at Srinagar along with Planning and Development Minister Ajay Sadhotra and Khalid Najib Suhrawardhy, former Minister of State for Home.
Mr Rana later told the reporters that three NC member in the Privilege Committee didn’t accept the letter of Gen Singh as Bhim Singh had no authority to present it.
“We insisted on issuance of non-bailable warrants against Gen Singh for not appearing before the LCPC twice but the Congress was adamant on its stand. Therefore, we walked out of the meeting,” he said, adding the LCPC infighting can’t be described as National Conference-Congress difference as they were confined to the Privilege Committee only.
Mr Rana said the NC members would take up the issue with the Council Legislature Party.
LCPC Chairman Jugal Kishore Sharma and his party colleague Ravinder Sharma told reporters that they had only raised the legal points in the Privilege Committee before initiating further proceedings against the former Army chief.
They said the legal issues have been referred to Legislative Council Chairman Amrit Malhotra, who would settle them.
Mr Malhotra said he would examine the two issues in the context of Rules and Procedures of the House and then deliver his verdict.
Sources said till Mr Malhotra settled the issue, the LCPC wouldn’t proceed further against the former Army chief. At present, neither there were any warrants nor summons against Gen Singh.
It may be mentioned here that the LCPC had on December 8 issued summons against Gen Singh asking him to appear before it on January 9 in connection with his allegations that Army had paid Jammu and Kashmir Ministers. On January 9, fresh summons were issued to him for appearance on January 22, which were not received by anyone at his residence at Gurgaon, Haryana.
The LCPC has six members-three each from National Conference and Congress. One of the Congress members-Ghulam Nabi Monga was not present in the meeting.
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