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| Politics falls from grace | | NC MLA ‘circulates’ questionnaire in Assembly linking Muzaffar Hussain Baig with six women | | ZAFAR CHOUDHARY
Srinagar, July 29: A day after Peoples Democratic Party leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig’s unwarranted howler against the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the course of political decency in Jammu and Kashmir today stooped to lowest possible with the National Conference misusing the highest democratic institution like state legislature and the most respected chair of the Speaker of Legislative Assembly to settle its scores in a highly reprehensible manner.
A questionnaire carrying six questions on personal life of former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig was circulated in the Assembly by none else than the Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone. While relevance of six questions at this stage casting aspersions on moral character of Baig can be left to the National Conference to justify but the Speaker’s role in having accepted such a questionnaire which not only throw muck on the life of a member of the House but also drags into a murky controversy at least women, who have no option to defend themselves, has raised eyebrows.
At the first instance, the Speaker handed over a questionnaire to Baig, which the PDP leader immediately tore apart on seeing and threw pieces of paper in the Well of the House. Later the copies of the questionnaire were made public to the House and the public at large though state’s Information Department in an undercover operation. It is pertinent to mention here that a paper presented in the Assembly is a property of the House unless it is approved by the Speaker for public dissemination.
The questionnaire links former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig to six women in his life and goes on to say that he had illicit relations with all of them. One of the women has been identified as daughter of a former Chief Justice of India. After this questionnaire was circulated to a large section of media and hundreds of individuals by emails and other modes, the names of all six women was a public knowledge by the evening but this newspaper is avoiding their identification for upholding ethics of journalism.
After this high drama on questionnaire seeking Baig to explain his moral character, the House was adjourned amidst pandemonium. Soon after convening of the second sitting of the Legislative Assembly, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti and Nizam-ud-Din Bhat raised point of information asking Speaker to name the person who has given the questionnaire about PDP MLA Mr. Muzaffar Hussain Beig. The Speaker informed the House that the questionnaire was submitted by Mr. Nazir Gurezi, MLA Gurez.
Nasir Aslam Wani while displaying a copy of the questionnaire also demanded that PDP member should answer the questions if he has the moral courage.
The ungraceful discourse of politics has suddenly returned to Jammu and Kashmir with former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig linking the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah with 2006 Srinagar sex scandal. The sensational sex scandal broke in April 2006 after police discovered two VCDs showing Kashmiri women being sexually exploited. It snowballed into a massive racket that allegedly involved two ministers of the then Congress-PDP government, senior police and paramilitary officers and influential businessmen.
Forty-three women, including a minor, were being allegedly exploited by the powerful establishment, prompting violent protests with mainstream and separatist groups joining hands.
Following the public outrage, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court intervened and directed the CBI to handle the probe. The CBI later presented a chargesheet and a trial is underway at a sessions court in Punjab.
The CBI had arrested G.M. Mir and Raman Mattoo, both ministers in the then Congress-PDP government, besides Iqbal Khandey, the former principal secretary to then chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. Accusations had also surfaced against many top political leaders and Ministers in Ghulam Nabi Azad government. Two senior Congress leaders, one of them was a Minister in the previous government and other held a constitutional position, were accused by their own party colleagues of being part of the sex scandal. Incidentally both are again Ministers in the present government.
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