Former Army Chief V K Singh today failed to appear for the second time in two weeks before the privileges committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council even as the assembly rejected his plea for quashing the privilege motion.
The ruling National Conference demanded that a non-bailable warrant be slapped on Gen Singh.
Proceedings in the committee witnessed fireworks with the NC and the Congress sparring over the legality of the committee itself.
Singh was asked to appear before the committee after he alleged during a television interview that Army was paying money to politicians in Jammu and Kashmir.
As five of the six-member committee of the Legislative Council met here this morning, its chairman Jugal Kishore was informed by Panthers' Party chief Bhim Singh that the former Army Chief would make himself available before the Committee by January 26.
At this stage, National Conference's Legislative Council member Davinder Rana demanded that Bhim Singh should record his statement that the former Army Chief would make himself available before the Committee.
Ravinder Sharma of Congress questioned the legality of the Committee, saying that as per law it should not be more than five members but was told that under the rules it was the prerogative of the Chairman of the Council to have any number of MLCs in the Committee.
Sharma, a close confidant of Pradesh Congress Chief Saif-ud-din Soz, was also asked as to why was he questioning the Committee's legality after being a member for the last one year.
However, Jugal Kishore of Congress referred the matter to the Chairman of the Council Amrit Malhotra to decide whether the privileges committee was legal or illegal.
NC members led by Rana staged a walkout from the proceedings in protest and demanded issuance of non-bailable warrant against Gen Singh for non-appearance.
Meanwhile, the Assembly rejected Gen Singh's plea for quashing the breach of privilege motion against him and referred it to the privileges committee for further examination.
