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| Congress' PCC jigsaw: New faces 'accomodated' | | Shabir Khan's 'trouble shooter' too rewarded | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 15: Congress High Command has finally woke up the need to have a reorganized state unit in place, a step that would help the party to set the momentum of poll preparedness in time to come. In the jigsaw of new Pradesh Congress Committee, the party has dropped some old faces and adjusted new ones at all levels in the hierarchy. Each such 'adjustment' makes an interesting case where the leadership has weighed its own interests and benefits first. One for instance, is that of BS Salathia, a name in reckoning for many reasons, who has ultimately found his way in the coveted list of executive members of PCC.
Salathia's name is no new to party nor is he any lesser mortal by the status he enjoys in judiciary as well. But his association with the party in somewhat unconventional manner makes his case an interesting one. These days BS Salathia's name is in circulation for being the lawyer of Shabir Khan, ex Minister of coalition government. He has pleaded the case of Khan strongly, latter's nationalistic credentials being high point of the defence he has advocated in granting him interim bail. No matter state unit of Congress has distanced itself from the whole controversy related to Khan but the fact remains that Delhi has sought his case to be 'handled' well for political reasons which is why things were expedited to grant some relief to him. Salathia has played pivotal role apparently at the behest of and upon directions from New Delhi to grant him interim bail by utilizing his connections in the judiciary at the top level, he himself also having served the tenure of Bar Association. So, it would be apt and safe to say that Congress has 'rewarded' Salathia for having played the role of trouble shooter in Shabir Khan's case. The party high command wanted things to happen on these lines apparently to save its position in the district he hails from-Rajouri, which the party considers its strong bastion.
Although Salathia on account of his association with senior leaders and connections in New Delhi as well is now a popular name in the party circles , this is all that he would have asked in return as reward, given the fact that his entry into the Congress and inclusion as executive member in the reconstituted PCC has remained different from the general lot. Needless to say that Salathia played a pro active role in the Amarnath land row when he spearheaded the movement in support of Jammu cause from the Sangarsh Samiti forum. He was co-convenor of the Samiti and became a household name during the course of agitation and in the aftermath. However, it was on account of his association proximity with stalwarts like Pandit Mangat Ram Sharma, the then Deputy Chief Minister that kept him closer to Congress at the same time. His proximity with former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is also understood to have 'fetched' this reward to him. |
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