Probe possible if Gen Singh names tainted ministers: Shinde

Clamour is now growing for former Army chief General VK Singh to name the Jammu and Kashmir ministers who were paid Army funds. After National Conference leaders, now Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that an investigation can take place if more details like the names of ministers are given by General VK Singh.

Also read: Former Army chief says allegations motivated, most absurd

Earlier, the National Conference also dared General VK Singh to name the ministers who were given funds. "It is indeed a sad and unfortunate day for the Indian nation and the Indian Army in particular that the former Army Chief is making such reckless and unsubstantiated statements. If any ministers were paid money, then I would ask Gen Singh to name those ministers," NC leader Devender Singh Rana said.

"Truth should come out on the allegations being made by the former Army chief. We are demanding a judicial probe by a sitting SC judge," Rana added.

Speaking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, General VK Singh had admitted that the money from the secret fund was used in Kashmir but only towards social schemes. He also questioned the timing of the Indian Express report saying it was an attempt by the government to divert attention from itself.

Amused by the allegations that he used the money to topple the Jammu and Kashmir government, he said "If Rs 1 crore can topple the government, then in a country like ours governments will be toppled everyday." Singh did not rule out the possibility of being targeted because he recently shared the dais with the Bharatiya Janta Party's prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. He, however, said that he had not made up his mind to join politics. He also denied the possibility of contesting against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from Raebareli during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

He termed the report published in 'The Indian Express' that claimed that he was involved in trying to topple the Omar Adullah government as 'baseless and motivated'. General Singh in an interview to CNN-IBN said that he did not believe that the Director General Military operations (DGMO) had written any such report. Singh also said that the Technical Supports Division is not meant for technical equipments as the name suggests and is purely based on human intelligence. He said that the division was created on the directions of Defence Minister AK Antony.

The report published in the national daily had claimed that the unit paid an NGO to thwart the appointment of current Army Chief General Bikram Singh. Singh has also filed an RTI application seeking a copy of the Army probe report which reportedly questions the functioning of a unit set up by him. He said, "If the newspaper can have it, I being the person who is being directly affected by he should also have it." He also added that he will be taking legal action against the newspaper.