Hyder Ali
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Apr 19: Unsatisfied with the ministry granted to him, separatist-turned-mainstream leader Sajjad Gani Lone, on Tuesday skipped Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Katra in Jammu province.
Lone, who two years ago discovered a "BadaBhai" in Modi, was this time conspicuous for his absence in the Trikuta hills when Modi inaugurated a super-specialized hospital there. Otherwise, during Modi's previous visits to the state, Lone would prominently share dais with him.
But this time, presumably unsatisfied with the Social Welfare ministry granted to him, MLA Handwara seems to be "heartbroken".
Call it planning or coincidence, by the time Modi was addressing a public gathering in the holy town of Katra, Sajjad held a parallel rally at Handwara Chowk, where demolition of a bunker was underway.
Following recent killing of five civilians in the frontier district, the government in consultation with the defense ministry decided to remove three bunkers from there.
Today as the government started the process to remove the bunker at the central square, Sajjad surprisingly appeared in the area. Taking the credit of having got the bunker demolished, Sajjad said it was a historic achievement which his predecessors like Sofi Ghulam Mohi Ud Din and Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan had failed to do.
He said in fact his predecessors had spend money out of the Constituency Development Fund on construction of bunkers from time-to-time but that he alone worked for the "cause of the people."
Lone was seen leading the people, who took possession of the bunker, before the site was formally handed over to the municipal committee.
On November 11, 2014, ahead of the Assembly elections, he called on Modi in the national capital.
After the one-on-one with the PM, Lone sounded spellbound. "The PM is a great human being. I was pleasantly surprised with his down-to-earth personality, his vision about bringing in investments into the state," Lone had said, adding, "I could not make out whether I am talking to the PM or my older brother."
Subsequently the "big brother" came to his rescue in 2015 when PDP was unwilling to grant him any ministry.
While the government was to be sworn in on March 1, 2015 till the evening of February 30, this MLA was biting his nails at his Sanat Nagar residence here. Finally, his stars changed at the eleventh hour, following a telephonic conversation with Modi, who is understood to have got him a ministry allotted out of the BJP quota. Lone subsequently drove to Jammu by road to make it to the swearing in ceremony. |
