JK Assembly Speaker to summon Gen V K Singh over payoff remark

The controversy over former Army Chief V K Singh's allegation that money was paid to ministers in Jammu and Kashmir took a new turn today with assembly Speaker Mubarak Gul deciding to summon him on the issued.
"I will summon him (Singh) very soon," Gul said amidst uproar in the assembly which saw Opposition PDP storming the well of the House and demanding that the Speaker set a time-frame for summoning Gen Singh.
The Speaker did not spell out the time-frame for summoning Gen Singh, who had alleged money was being paid to ministers in Jammu and Kashmir for getting certain jobs done, saying proper procedure will be followed.

It was not clear whether Gen Singh will be summoned before the bar of the House or to appear before the Speaker.
BJP and National Panthers Party (NPP) members also rushed to the well of the House urging the Speaker not to change his earlier ruling in which he had said that he will write a letter to the former Army Chief seeking an explanation from him on his controversial remarks.
The ruckus began when National Conference member and Law Minister Mir Saiffullah, supported by PDP members, demanded that Gen Singh be summoned to the house instead of writing a letter to him for seeking an explanation.

This prompted the Opposition PDP members to storm the well of the House after which the Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

As soon as the House re-assembled, pandemonium continued for another 15 minutes before the Speaker adjourned the House for a second time for 20 minutes.
As the proceedings resumed, the Speaker called for tabling of bills and other listed business before the House but the Opposition PDP members again stormed the well.
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti suggested the House take a vote on whether to summon former Army Chief or seek an explanation from him through a letter.

Gul said there was no need for voting on the issue.
The PDP members, however, pressed that the Speaker set a period of one month for summoning the Army Chief.
To this, the Speaker said "I may do it even before that".
The MLAs of PDP, BJP and NPP shouted slogans in the well of the House leading to adjournment of the assembly sine die by the Speaker.
Meanwhile, the state Legislative Council today unanimously passed a resolution asking the Centre to conduct a time-bound and transparent inquiry into Singh's allegations about payoffs to politicians of the state.
"This House unanimously resolves that the allegations levelled by retired Army chief, V K Singh, should be inquired in a time-bound and transparent manner," read the resolution which was passed at the end of the two-day discussion over the issue.