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| Akhter's walkout leaves Govt red-faced | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 10: A walkout by Education Minister and Government spokesman, Naeem Akhter at a crucial press conference here on Sunday afternoon without responding to queries from the media persons has left the government red-faced at a time when Kashmir is on boil over civilian killings in street protests.
On Sunday, at 2:00 PM, the government spokesman was scheduled to address a hurriedly-called press conference at the Civil Secretariat here.
Official sources said instantly after chairing a Cabinet meeting held in connection with the recent killing of atleast 20 persons in the last two days, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti asked Akhter to apprise the media about the government response to the situation.
Observers said being spokesman, Naeem was bound to inform media persons about the government version and to subsequently respond to queries if any. But as Akhter concluded his briefing over the Cabinet meeting, the moment media persons started posing questions he stood up from the chair and hurriedly left the conference hall.
This left the journalist fraternity annoyed as they termed the press conference waste of precious time in "times of crises".
"This is ridiculously arrogant. If he had no intention of responding to our queries why did he call us here? He should have sent a press handout instead," the journalists protested, while some of them registered their protests on social media.
A senior journalist said it was for the first time in the history of Kashmir that government spokesman who had called a press conference staged a "walkout."
"The government is supposed to keep media apprised and to respond to public queries in the wake of such testing times, but he has left his own government embarrassed," the journalists.
"We have been trying to contact him for two days but his phone is off while today he rubbed salts to our wounds of people by not bothering to talk to us," said a senior journalist working with a national daily.
By now, most of the lawmakers from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janta Party alliance were apprised about the "arrogance of the spokesman, who doesn't have cheeks to talk."
Sources said some of the PDP leaders who are already "fed up of Akhter's" inexperience at politics have registered a strong protest before Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti.
"He could have cleared many doubts in the minds of people by responding to media queries. But his failure to speak has put us to tight position," said a PDP leader. Some politicians if Additional Director General of Police SM Sahai could confidently respond to media queries at the previous presser held on July 9, why couldn't the government spokesman.
Despite repeated attempts, Naeem Akhter could not be contacted for comments. |
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