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| Tainted former bureaucrat's political ambitions irk Azad faction in PCC | | | Anirudh Sharma
Jammu, Apr 11: The Azad faction of the Pradesh Congress has been perturbed by the waywardness of a retired senior bureaucrat from Bhaderwah who recently conducted public meetings in Azad's own political bastion.
Even though the retired bureaucrat is known to be a Azad loyalist and has enjoyed Azad's unwavering support and patronage despite his tainted service record, his efforts to churn his own political cult in Azad's political ground without joining the Congress party has anguished the other Azad loyalists within the Pradesh congress.
Mehboob Iqbal, who retired recently as commissioner secretary to the government has enjoyed Ghulam Nabi Azad's support eventhough he had several purple patches in his service record and was named in some of the biggest scams in the state. Azad's generosity for the officer who hails from Bhaderwah can be gauged from the fact that as the chief minister of the state, when Azad was raising war cries against corruption, he extended favours to Mehboob Iqbal, posting him as Divisional Commissioner Kashmir notwithstanding the fact that he was facing several charges of corruption and irregularities at that point of time. Iqbal however defied Azad's faith in entrusting an important assignment to him as he was involved in yet another multi crore scam wherein he granted illegal favours for obvious reasons to a businessman giving ownership rights of a prime land in Gulmarg to a businessman at throw away prices under Roshni Act. Many in the opposition believe that investigations in vigilances cases pending against the said officers are being delayed due to his proximity to the former Chief Minister.
The Bhaderwah constituency is presently represented by Mohammad Sharief Niaz, Azad's cousin, who was elected to the State Assembly after Azad resigned and returned to the center through Rajya Sabha and became Union Minister for Health. Niaz, who was a Minister in the Mufti led PDP-NC coalition had earlier stepped aside to pave away for Azad's election to the State Assembly and was later inducted as party MLC.
Niaz and Azad are also known to have developed strained relations after Niaz was kept out of council of ministers during Azad's regime, but the issues between the cousins were soon addressed and both Azad and Niaz are seen together in all public functions in Bhaderwah and else where when Azad tours the state. Under such circumstances, Mehboob Iqbal's ambitious political overtures are being taken with a pinch of salt by congressmen from the Doda region. |
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