Early Times Report
jammu, Apr 18: The senior PDP leader who was ousted from the state cabinet last month was not invited by the party to its "crucial meeting" held on April 14 in the summer capital of Srinagar.
Source said while all the lawmakers, and even the youth faces of the party were invited to the meeting, the ousted minister, who is seen as the architect of the Agenda of Alliance, between the ruling PDP and its alliance partner BJP, remained conspicuous by his absence.
Sources said the organizers of the meeting had asked their party president if he was to be invited to the "crucial meeting." "But the silence on this question was enough to make us understand that he is not to be invited," said a senior PDP leader from south Kashmir on the condition of anonymity.
He said at least two senior ministers of PDP, who had virtually celebrated his ouster, were very particular that the former minister "is not invited to the meeting, which apart from others was also attended by some "halqa presidents close to the party."
When contacted, a senior PDP leader who was among the hosts, said it was unanimous decision of the party not to invite him. "Otherwise also we were told that he is not feeling well, so we wanted him to take rest," the PDP leader told Early Times on the condition of anonymity.
Though the minister in question was seen as one of the most influential faces in the alliance, he was ousted from the cabinet after his remarks that Kashmir is not a political issue but social one.
The PDP had subsequently asked him to clarify his position on the issue. But even before a 24-hour deadline would lapse, he was removed from the cabinet.
As already reported, one of the fellow ministers who was present at the event, where the controversial remarks were made, had subsequently spoken against him before Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The minister ended up getting charge of his ousted colleague |
