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| At PDP meeting, Minister dares colleague to resign | | |
Early Times Report
srinagar, Apr 16: At the recently held "crucial meeting" of the ruling PDP, a senior minister had dared his Cabinet colleague that they should resign if the party was feeling "they are partners in the crime by virtue of running this government."
Sources said the minister who is in his early 40s drew attention of the meeting towards the interview given by their colleague to a New Delhi-based newspaper that his government was "partner in crime."
The minister, whose uncle is also a lawmaker, told the meeting that if "their key member believes that they are partners in the crime, there was no morality left in continuing with the crime."
"If he feels that PDP has been partner in the crime including killings in Kashmir and Kathua rape and murder, why shouldn't the 'criminal nexus' be abandoned? We need to introspect and decide if we have been criminals and we want to continue with criminality. Let's not be hypocrites," sources quoted the minister having told his colleague.
Sources said the other minister, who had given the interview had no convincing replies. Finally, sources said, some senior PDP leaders diluted the tension, saying "such interviews should not be taken seriously."
"This interview was deliberately given after prior consultation with a Cabinet colleague, who in the past had been a bureaucrat. So let's not mess up the meeting with remarks made in the interview that 'we are partners in crime'. It was a pre-decided script," said an insider privy to the meeting.
Sources said at least three senior leaders, who are also sitting ministers, came to the rescue of their colleague who had given the interview. "Such remarks are part and parcel of politics, why create a hue and cry, let's forget and move ahead" the leaders asked.
The meeting resolved that thinking on lines of any resignation would be "collectively suicidal." "How can we even dream of resigning at this critical juncture? Do you want us to commit suicide?" some ministers asked each other.
When contacted, a senior PDP leader from south Kashmir who was among the organizers of the meeting admitted that discussion over "partners in crime" had taken place. "But the discussion was in lighter vein, as there was no need to take 'partners in crime' comment seriously," the PDP leader said on the condition of anonymity.
"The interview was aimed to give BJP a piece of mind. That is what we have achieved," the PDP leader added.
On April 14, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who is also the PDP president had called a meeting at her Gupkar residence to "decide fate of the alliance with the BJP." |
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