Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Dec 21: Paving way for induction of Tassaduq Mufti to the Legislative Council, the State Government today sent a detailed reply to all the queries raised by Raj Bhawan pertaining to nomination process.
Reliable official sources told EXCELSIOR, “the State Government today gave point-wise reply to all the queries raised by Governor, N N Vohra along-with documentary evidence to support the case of Tassaduq”.
Clarifying over the official status of Tassaduq Mufti, who had resigned from the post of Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell last Friday, the reply said, “he isn’t a government employee and therefore no need to submit his integrity or vigilance certificate”.
Asked if the nomination of Tassaduq is linked to the Court case pending in High Court pertaining to nominated MLCs, the reply has categorically stated that present case isn’t linked to the outcome of the writ petition pending in High Court challenging the MLC nominations made in 2015.
It is pertinent to mention that the State Government had on December 15 submitted its recommendation seeking nomination of Tassaduq as MLC to Raj Bhavan for the Governor’s approval. The proposal was recommended to the Governor after the state cabinet, by way of circulation, gave its nod to the same.
Tassaduq has been recommended against a vacancy that arose after the resignation of Vikramaditya Singh from the PDP as well as Upper House on a host of issues including non-declaration of holiday on birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh. Prior to the start of nomination process, Tassaduq had resigned from the post of Coordinator, Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell.
In yet another important development, uncle of Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti and Minister of State for Haj and Auqaf, Farooq Ahmad Andrabi has tendered his resignation from the Ministry. Though most of the PDP Ministers weren’t aware of this political development, sources confirmed that the Minister had laid down his papers and sent his resignation to the office of Chief Minister.
“With resignation of Andrabi, decks have been cleared for induction of Tassaduq into the Cabinet and the process is likely to be set into motion soon”, sources said adding, “though Andrabi has cited personal reasons for quitting the Ministry, there are sufficient indications that the move is aimed at induction of another member of the family”.
Sources further elaborated, “the Chief Minister wants to dispel the notion that party was being run by family members and therefore chose to drop her uncle from the Ministry”.
Source privy to the development said, “the Chief Minister’s office has forwarded the resignation of Andrabi to the Raj Bhavan and it was likely to be accepted”.
Andrabi had been inducted into the Cabinet on April 4, 2016 and held number of portfolios including industries, irrigation and flood control, power and public health engineering.
It is pertinent to mention that in 2015, the PDP-BJP government had nominated Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Vikramaditya Singh, Saif-ud-Din Bhat, Khurshid Alam (all from the PDP) and Ashok Khajuria, Ramesh Arora, Ajatshatru Singh, and Surinder Mohan Ambardar (all from the BJP) as MLCs.
However, a writ petition was filed in the High Court contending that sub-section (6) of section 50 of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution had not been compiled with by the Government while making the nominations.
The petition had sought quashing of the nominations on the ground that the people belonging to any of the socially or economically backward classes in the state have not been considered.
Under the J&K Constitution, eight members shall be nominated by the Governor, not more than three of whom shall be persons belonging to any of the socially or economically backward classes in the state, while the others shall be persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of matters such as literature, science, art, co-operative movement and social service.
When the Governor had posed queries to the Government on the MLC nominations in 2015, the government had clarified that not more than three persons means the number should not exceed three, but it can be zero also.
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