Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 12: Succumbing to pressure from across the board, Minister of state for Home, Sajjad Kitchloo, who has been accused of inaction that led to communal violence in Kishtwar on August 9, submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah pending the outcome of the judicial probe ordered by the state government. "I have received Sajad Kitchloo's resignation asking to be relieved of his responsibilities pending the outcome of the judicial inquiry," Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.
"I am forwarding the same to the Governor with the recommendation that it be accepted," he added.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today accepted minister of state for Home Sajad Kitchloo's resignation who maintained his innocence about Kitshtwar clashes but chose to step down pending the outcome of a judicial inquiry ordered by the state government.
"On the advice of Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister, Governor N N Vohra has accepted the resignation of Sajad Ahmad Kitchloo, minister of state, from the state council of ministers with immediate effect," a spokesman of the Raj Bhavan said in a statement here.
BJP and some Congress leaders had demanded Kitchloo be removed from the ministry pending an impartial inquiry on his alleged role in the Kishtwar riots.
"I want the truth to come out...My conscience does not allow me to continue as a minister till probe ends," Kitchloo said in a statement.
He, however, maintained that he was innocent and had done nothing wrong.
"My conscience is clear, my electorate in Kishtwar vouch for my secular credentials and I am deeply hurt that some people have stooped so low as to accuse me of something I have not done, only for petty political gains," he said.
Kitchloo, representative of National Conference from Kishtwar Assembly constituency, was inducted in the council of ministers in January this year.
"My family and I have a track record of 60 years in politics. Me and my father late Bashir Ahmad Kitchloo have always stood for probity and transparency in public life and secularism has been the bed rock of our political ideology.
"We are associated with the J-K National Conference whose basic principal is to uphold communal harmony and brotherhood in the state," Kitchloo said.
Condemning the communal violence in Kishtwar, he said culprits must be identified and those responsible must be punished.
Hitting out at BJP and Opposition PDP, Kitchloo said "I take strong exception to what Arun Jaitley said. Did Modi resign after Godhra? What happened to Amit Shah who is now the star campaigner of BJP in Uttar Pradesh? Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others."
"PDP says I am to be blamed. I am to be blamed for ensuring that PDP has no presence and existence in the Chenab Valley," he added.
Before heading to the Chief Minister's residence to submit his resignation, Kitchloo in a press conference in Jammu said, "Certain people blame me. I am innocent. Have done nothing wrong. My conscience is clear...I want the truth to come out.
"I am resigning so that my presence does not cast a shadow on an independent probe," Kitchloo had said.
He said "certain political parties for their petty ends" are trying to malign his name by blaming him for violence." |
