By IANS
Jammu : Former minister of Jammu and Kashmir Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed was asked to quit after his driver made a threatening call to the mother of an independent legislator who had levelled corruption charges against Sayeed, Health Minister Mangat Ram Sharma said in the state assembly Monday.
Sharma’s remarks came in response to the opposition National Conference legislators when they cited Sayeed’s sacking to press their demand for the removal of Forest Minister Qazi Mohammad Afzal and his predecessor Tariq Hameed Karra, who now holds the finance portfolio.
The National Conference has been alleging that Afzal and Karra are involved in irregularities in the state’s forest department. The irregularities came to light after an official inquiry but the report has not indicted the ministers.
Earlier this month, independent legislator Shoaib Lone had created a furore in the assembly by alleging that Sayeed took a bribe of Rs.40,000 from him. While that issue was being debated, the matter of the threatening call came to light, Sharma said.
Sharma, a senior Congress leader in Jammu and Kashmir, said that Sayeed was not removed unheard.
“It was a threatening call made by the minister’s driver to the mother of the independent legislator that led to Sayeed’s removal from the ministry,” Sharma told reporters here.
The driver was arrested later and he has reportedly confessed that he had made the call and had also taken the bribe from the legislator for the minister.
“We cannot condemn the ministers – Tariq Hameed Karra and Qazi Mohammad Afzal – unheard,” Sharma said.