V K Singh denies money given to topple J&K govt

Money given to Kashmiri voluntary organisation to do developmental activities

Former army chief V K Singh on Tuesday said army funds were given to a Kashmiri NGO to get the people, especially the youth, of Jammu and Kashmir involved in developmental activities and denied any money was given to topple the state government.

Asked by CNN-IBN news channel if during his tenure as the army chief he had used secret army funds to pay a Jammu and Kashmir minister, Ghulam Hassan Mir, to topple the state government, Singh denied the allegation.

"If money is required to carry out stability tasks, to get the youth away from stone throwing, if money is required to get them engaged in some useful activity, I am sure you will agree it is required. If anyone can topple a government in Rs.1 crore in this great country of ours, then governments will be toppled every day," V K Singh told the news channel.

 

He said money was given to a Kashmiri voluntary organisation to "do certain activities" like holding blood donation camps, running classes for women, "getting children out of the stone throwing mode".

Asked if money was given to topple the Jammu and Kashmir government, V.K. Singh flatly said "No".

The former army chief is under attack over reports that during his tenure attempts were made to topple the Jammu and Kashmir government and that state minister Mir was paid Rs.1.19 crore from the secret army funds to destabilise the state government.