Political crisis blown over in J

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Srinagar, Sep 4: The political crisis in Jammu and Kashmir seems to have blown over for the time being with the resignation of outgoing Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baigh from the state Cabinet yesterday as desired by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Sources said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has forwarded Mr Baigh's resignation to Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha for formal acceptance.

Jammu and Kashmir plunged into political crisis after Mr Azad refused to divest Mr Baigh of the important portfolios of Finance, Planning, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, as desired by the PDP high command through a letter to the Chief Minister on August 30.

The move had angered PDP leaders, including patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and president Mehbooba Mufti.

The PDP leadership had decided to ''cut down to size'' Mr Baigh in the wake of his recent utterances, for lavishing praises on Mr Azad and describing him as the ''towering leader'' of Jammu and Kashmir, and also for ''ignoring'' the party agenda.

The party had earlier decided to give all portfolios held by Mr Baigh to Housing and Urban Development Minister Tariq Hamid Karra.

It was decided that Mr Baigh would be given Tourism and Housing portfolios only.

Though it was the Chief Minister's prerogative to allocate portfolios to his Ministers, the PDP leadership was of the opinion that in the case of a coalition government all the ruling partners have to be taken into confidence and he cannot use his discretion against the wish of a major ally.

Mr Azad had on August 29 expanded his Cabinet by inducting nine more Ministers, raising its total strength to 22.

The Cabinet expansion took place nearly 10 months after Mr Azad was sworn in as the tenth Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on November 2 last year, replacing Mr Sayeed.

He then took almost three days to allocate the portfolios and only divested Mr Baigh of the Tourism portfolio and kept with him Finance, Planning, Law and Parliamentary Affairs.

The sources said the Chief Minister considered Mr Baigh as one of the most honest and efficient Ministers in his Cabinet and did not want him to lose the important portfolios.

The move had upset the PDP high command which threatened to withdrew party Ministers from the coalition government. The party decided to recall Mr Baigh from the state Cabinet and also removed him as the legislature party leader and appointed Agriculture Minister Abdul Aziz Zargar as party leader in the lower House.

Mr Baigh then decided to resign from the Cabinet so as not to destabilise the coalition government, drag the PDP and the Congress into a collision course or thrust mid-term elections on the people. Regarding his resignation from the PDP and the state Assembly, Mr Baigh told a news conference here on Saturday that he would consult his constituents and the people who had elected him as a legislator before taking any decision.

He said the Chief Minister had decided to retain his portfolios on his own. ''I was not party to the Chief Minister's decision. In fact, it came as a big surprise to me. I even requested Mr Azad not to do so that there is no controversy and no differences are created between the PDP and the Congress.'' Mr Baigh said the PDP leadership charged him with not opposing four Cabinet decisions - creation of eight new districts, appointment of former Chief Secretary S S Bloeria as the head of Delimitation Commission, double-shift system introduced by Mr Azad and transfer of a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) from Anantnag to Badgam.

''Instead of taking revenge from Mr Azad, the PDP leaders punished me...I feel betrayed,'' he added.

However, Mr Baigh asked Mr Sayeed and Ms Mufti not to initiate ''conspiracies'' against him. ''I hope they will not compel me to reveal things that are in bad taste. I will not initiate conspiracies against them unless they do first. I won't call Mufti a murderer or abuse him like others. I treated him like a father and will continue to do so,'' he added.

The PDP then decided to revoke the suspension of rebel leader and former Tourism Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, paving the way for him to become the next Deputy Chief Minister. Mr Mir welcomed the decision to revoke his suspension, saying he was happy to be back in the PDP.

PDP sources said the decision followed a series of meetings between the rebel leader and party emissaries. Mr Mir, a known critic of Mr Baigh, was suspended from the PDP early this year for ''anti-party'' activities.

They said Mr Zargar's appointment as the Deputy Chief Minister was opposed by certain quarters in the Congress. They raised objections to Mr Zargar's assuming the post in the wake of the allegations that the militants who attacked Akshardham temple in Gujarat on September 24, 2002 had taken shelter in his ancestral house at Manzgam in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.

The choice was now between Mr Mir and Mr Karra, who is considered to be very close to PDP President Mehbooba Mufti.

The main opposition National Conference and the Congress had described the developments in the PDP as party's internal matter.

UNI

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Don't compel me to reveal things: Baigh to Muftis
Baigh submits resignation as Dy CM; meets Azad

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