Mehbooba eulogises Cong led coalition in JK
By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar : As Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti was eulogising the achievements of Congress led coalition government, senior party leader Qazi Mohammad Afzal piqued over the silence of top leadership of both the parties, shot off another letter to Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad asking him to accept his resignation from council of ministers.
Qazi Mohammad Afzal in his letter to chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “I had expected you to relieve me of my responsibilities immediately on receipt of my resignation in view of the very clear and serious reasons, I had furnished. But, unfortunately you have preferred silence over the matter.”
Meanwhile many actions have taken by you which have further brought into focus the reasons for my stepping down from your cabinet, he said adding these actions have only added to strains on the spirit of coalition instead of serving to undo the wrongs that I had protested.
Qazi Mohammad Afzal taking a dig at the unilaterla decisions of the chief minister, said that your recent actions violated the fundamentals of coalition ethics. “The actions taken by you and the manner in which issues were handled could subvert the very purpose and objectives of the coalition,” Qazi pointed out.
“I feel, it puts a big question mark on the very basis of the coming together of our parties for achieving the grand dreams of peace, dignity and development shared by my leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he said adding, ” In such circumstances, it would be against my conscience to continue in the state cabinet.”
Qazi Afzal further said that he had not atended to the duties as minister since he sent his resignation to chief minister on September 4, last and he treats himself as releived of the responsibilites and hope that CM would fulfill the obligation of aqcceptance of his resignation.
Qazi further informed that he had relieved his personal staff that worked with him as minister.
The letter has, however, come at a time amidst accusations against top PDP leadership of leaving Qazi alone in the hour of distress.
The firebrand PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, who is in the city for last two days did not bother to raise the issue and instead went on eulogising the achievements of Cong led coalition in the state.
Addrssing party workers today, she said that the alliance between Congress and PDP is not mere power sharing agreement but in the backdrop of sensitive situation in Kashmir it was formulated with a broader vision to solicit the support at national level to solve the Kashmir problem.
Mufti observed that a solution to Kashmir problem is impossible unless there is support, cooperation and goodwill at national level. She added that coalition government changed the perception and the situation eased to greater extent since it took over the reigns in the State. She added that for the first time in history of Jammu and Kashmir, it was the state government that has led the peace process.
Mufti remarked that many steps were taken by the coalition government in past five years vis-à-vis Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and India-Pakistan dialogue and the credit goes to the best chemistry between the regional forces, which represent the aspirations of general masses at state level, and the national forces in the center.
She added that as and when this component is missing, the alliance will loose its relevance.
Mehbooba Mufti failed to mention the political crisis brewing among the coalition partners in the face of chief minister’s decision to handover the charge of H&UD ministry to Minister of State for Forests Aijaz Ahmed Khan.
Meanwhile, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is expected to return to Valley on Sunday after holding parleys with senior Congress leaders on his US visit and the latest situation in Jammu and Kashmir state.
A minor reshuffle in the state cabinet with entry of few new faces and some non-performers being shown the door is seen in the offing to resolve the issue of Qazi Mohammad Afzal’s resignation and divesting of Forest portfolio.