SRINAGAR: MLA Zadibal and PDP leader Abid Hussain Ansari has blamed Minister for Public Works, (PWD) and government spokesperson Naeem Akhtar for chaos in the PDP.
Abid who is uncle of Imran Raza Ansari, who resigned as cabinet minister– accused Akhtar of being on a mission to ruin PDP. The storm within PDP, Abid said, also puts a question mark on partys prospects in upcoming parliamentary polls, municipal and Panchayat elections, reported The Economic Times on Monday.
Last week, re-induction of Altaf Bukhari, in the cabinet and following reshuffle of portfolios, exposed the fragility within PDP, when two senior cabinet ministers Basharat Bukhari, divested from the portfolio of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Relief and assigned Horticulture and Imran Raza Ansari, Sports and Science and Technology Minister resigned. Workers of another PDP legislator, Abdul Majid Padder were protesting demanding cabinet berth for their constituency representative.
Even though both Basharat and Ansari had a detailed meeting with chief minister Mehbooba Mufti after a three member party delegation met the aggrieved legislators, but the successive meetings couldnt break the ice is yet. Ansari is flying to Iran for around 15 days.
First we have to understand, why are people resigning. Why has it come to this? If PDP as a family is destroyed, the reason would be Akhtar, Abid told ET.
Akhtar is a member of legislative council and has not fought the elections. He has now been assigned the portfolio of Public Works. Earlier, as education he often had a brush with controversies.
I have understood that Naem sahib doesnt work for the interest of party but is hell bent at the behest of some agency to destroy PDP to the core, accused Abid, who also challenged Akhtar to fight an election against him.
I will leave my assembly seat and leave Kashmir, if Akhtar manages to get 200 votes against me, challenges Abid, who represents a Shia dominated constituency. Hussain rued that Ansari is leader of a big community and he should be assigned portfolios as per his religious standing.
Imran sahib should have been given Education, Rural Development or Public Works Department as was promised by the chief minister herself. Now you cannot backtrack on promises. Let Naem sahib handle sports as he has no commitment and never has to face electorate, said Abid According to Hussain, the chief minister had promised that there will be no portfolio change and if there is any Ansaris portfolio will be changed as well.
You cannot ask an MLA to gather people when there is a function in Srinagar and prefer Naem when it comes to portfolios, said Abid
There is anger against Akhtar within the party, says Hussain but only few speak openly about this, as they fear retribution from Akhtar.
He has been imposed on us, I dont know why. Recently they appointed a junior doctor as Srinagar Muncipal Commissioner. We have to give answers to public. Naem is dictating all this as he doesnt have to face people, said Abid, who added that his association with PDP was only because of Late Mufti Sayeed, otherwise the party had no role in his victory in the assembly elections.
When contacted, two cell phone numbers of Akhtar were switched off and his personal staff didnt answer calls from ET.
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