J-K min seeks time-bound probe into charges that army paid money

Jammu and Kashmir minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, who is in the eye of the storm over a news report that he was paid money by Army's secret unit to topple the state government, on Wednesday said efforts are being made to dent his integrity and demanded a time-bound probe into it.

"If a fair probe is held, the truth will come out and I will stand vindicated. Therefore, I offer myself to an open and time bound probe to look into these allegations," Mir said in a statement.

According to the media report Mir allegedly received funds from the army's secret intelligence unit in 2010 to destabilise the state government. Mir said he was more keen than anyone else in getting his name cleared.

"More than anyone else, I myself want that everybody should know that Ghulam Hassan Mir is absolutely relying on power and support of his own people and wholeheartedly working for them," he said.

"I want to reassure the people of J&K that I am only and only guided by their interests of safety, security and welfare," he added. He said that concerted efforts are being made to dent his political integrity and popularity.

"The allegations levelled recently are politically motivated and are absolutely false. I had been keeping quiet over the controversies raked in the past few days, but now I want to speak out as these controversies have not only sought to besmirch my personal reputation but also humiliated people with whose support I am where I am," Mir said.

The minister said he has been elected to the state assembly and been a minister three times since 1984.

"No agency or institution can create popularity. I am neither a man of agencies nor than of any institution," he added.      A report in a national English daily claimed that Mir was paid Rs 1.19 crore by Technical Services Division -- a secret intelligence unit of the army -- in 2010 to destabilise the Omar Abdullah-led government in the state.

Later, army chief Gen Singh in an interview to a private TV news channel claimed that many ministers in the state were being paid since Independence for winning the hearts of the people in the state.