Army payoffs: National Conference MLA dares to prove him guilty

SRINAGAR: 'Hang me in Lal Chowk' was the challenge thrown by National Conference MLA Aga Roohullah as the allegations of payoffs by army to politicians in Jammu and Kashmir today rocked the Legislative Assembly.

Roohullah was responding to comment made by independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid who said the government must come clean on claims made by former Army Chief Gen V K Singh that politicians in J-K were paid for getting certain jobs done.

"Hang me in Lal Chowk if it is proved that I have taken any money from anywhere. I will resign from this house," the National Conference MLA said.

Roohullah alleged that opposition PDP had got money from Pakistan as well as security agencies of the country, drawing angry reaction from the PDP MLAs who dubbed the allegations as "wild and baseless".

"You took money from Pakistan for (holding) plebiscite (in Kashmir) and power from India.

"Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah told India 'give me power, will give you Kashmir'," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti hit back.

National Panthers Party MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia said there was a need to probe the claims made by the former Army Chief.

"We should discuss the claims first. What if people have actually taken money," he said.

Earlier, Speaker Mubarak Gul said he is examining the Privilege Motion moved by National Conference ministers.

"I had two suggestions - one to summon Gen Singh, which I can do, and a house resolution to condemn the allegations made by him," he said.

Gul said the state assembly is a "peoples' house and anyone pointing fingers at this house will be acted against.

"This has become an issue in the state. How can we ignore this? I also have a 35-year political career," he added.