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J&K: Mufti Sayeed allots portfolios to council of ministers, Sajjad Lone refuses to join cabinet

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Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Tuesday assigned portfolios to his council of ministers, ending the suspense over sharing of portfolios between the ruling alliance partners PDP and BJP.

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh (BJP) has been assigned the important portfolio of power development, housing and urban development.

Abdul Rehman Veeri (PDP) got horticulture, Hajj and Auqaf while Haseeb Drabu (PDP) got finance, labour and employment.

Chander Prakash (BJP) got industries and commerce.

Javaid Mustafa Mir (PDP) got revenue while Lal Singh (BJP) got health, medical education, ARI and training.

Abdul Haq Khan (PDP) got rural development, Bali Bhagat (BJP) got social welfare, forest, ecology and environment.

Syed Basharat Bukhari (PDP) will hold the portfolio of law, justice and parliamentary affairs and Sukhnandan Kumar (BJP) will manage public health engineering.

Altaf Bukhari (PDP) got public works, floriculture and parks.

Chowdhary Zulfiqar (PDP) got consumer affairs and public distribution and tribal affairs.

Sajjad Gani Lone of the Peoples Conference got animal husbandry, science and technology.

Imran Raza Ali (PDP) got information technology, technical education, youth services and sports. Naeem Akhtar (PDP) got education.

All these ministers hold cabinet rank in the council of ministers.

The portfolio assignment order specifies that all other departments/subjects not assigned to any of the above ministers shall remain with the chief minister.

Sayeed holds the all important portfolios of home and general administration.

Among the junior ministers, Chering Dorjay (BJP) will hold independent charge of the cooperative department while Abdul Ghani Kohli (BJP) will hold independent charge of the transport department.

The two women junior ministers, Priya Sethi and Asiya Naqash, will be in charge of the information and health departments respectively.

Sajjad Lone refuses to join Mufti’s cabinet

Upset over the portfolio allocated to him, Sajjad Gani Lone of the Peoples Conference (PC) on Wednesday refused to join the council of ministers in the PDP-BJP government headed by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.

Lone was miffed over allocation of the animal husbandry department portfolio to him by Sayeed Tuesday.

He did not attend his office in winter capital Jammu on Wednesday and instead chose to fly back to the Valley.

“Yes, he has refused to join the council of ministers. He has also surrendered all entitlements including security, official vehicle and other perks given to him as a cabinet minister,” said a Peoples Conference source.

The source said Sajjad is flying back to Srinagar Wednesday.

On whether he had resigned from the council of ministers, the source said: “No, he has not resigned so far, but a decision on whether he should resign from the council of ministers or not would be taken after he meets party rank and file in the Valley.”

Sajjad, according to his party men, was unhappy over allotment of what believes to be, “an insignificant portfolio like animal husbandry”.

Peoples Conference activists argue that the former separatist leader who joined the electoral fray and won state assembly elections from north Kashmir Handwara constituency last year deserved a better deal so that he could convince his voters that joining mainstream politics would usher in better days for the people in Kashmir.

The party has two seats in the 87-member state legislative assembly.

Lone has extended support to the BJP. He was sworn in as a cabinet minister on Sunday as a BJP nominee in the council of ministers headed by Mufti Sayeed.

(IANS)

PDP demands return of Afzal Guru's mortal remains

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Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

Srinagar: Ruling PDP in Jammu and Kashmir today demanded from the NDA government the return of the mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, a day after assuming power in alliance with BJP.

Eight PDP MLAs issued a statement in this regard saying the party “promises to follow vigorously” for the return of the mortal remains.

Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013 inside Tihar Jail.

“PDP stands by the demand for return of his (Guru’s) mortal remains, and the party promises to follow vigorously for the return of the mortal remains,” the PDP statement said.

The legislators who signed the statement are Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Zahoor Ahmed Mir, Raja Manzoor Ahmad, Mohd Abas Wani, Yawar Dilawar Mir, Advocate Mohd Yosuf, Aijaz Ahmad Mir and Noor Mohd Sheikh.

“PDP has always maintained that late Afzal Guru’s hanging was travesty of justice and constitutional requirements and process was not followed in hanging him out of turn,” the statement said.

“The way he was picked up from serial no.28 and singled out has been condemned by PDP and it stands by the demand for return of his mortal remains…,” it said.

“We believe that the resolution brought by Independent MLA Rashid Ahmed to seek clemency for late Afzal Guru was justified and should have been adopted by the House at that time,” he said.

In 2011, the resolution seeking clemency for Guru could not be taken up in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly due to pandemonium in the House.

The resulotion became void as according to rules, any listed business that does not come up for discussion would lapse.

(PTI)

Uproar over Mufti's remark in Parliament; Opposition walks out of lower house

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Mufti Mohammad Sayeed after his swearing in as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. ANI Photo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Mufti Mohammad Sayeed after his swearing in as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. ANI Photo

New Delhi: The members of the opposition in the lower house of the Indian Parliament Monday staged a walk out from following uproar over Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s remark of crediting Pakistan and Hurriyat for peaceful elections in the region.

The opposition walk out took place minutes after federal home minister Rajnath Singh put forward the government’s views in this regard.

“I have already had discussion with the prime minister. I am making statement after his approval. The credit for conducive environment during polls in Jammu and Kashmir goes to the Election Commission, our armed forces and people of J-K,” said Singh in Lok Sabha.

The members of the opposition instead demanded a statement from prime minister Narendra Modi on the issue.

“We want the prime minister to speak on this matter in the house and condemn statement given by Jammu and Kashmir chief minister so that a clear message can be given,” said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

(ANI)

Mufti Sayeed to head 25-member cabinet in J&K; PM to attend his swearing-in on March 1

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Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

New Delhi: PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed will head a 25-member cabinet, half of it from BJP, in Jammu and Kashmir and the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday in Jammu will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

With the PDP-BJP deal sealed after ironing out differences over contentions issues like Article 370 and AFSPA, 79-year- old Sayeed, who will be sworn in as Chief Minister, met the Prime Minister today, capping two-month long hard negotiations between the two parties on government formation.

According to highly-placed sources, Sayeed will be heading a 25-member cabinet which will have 12 BJP MLAs including a Deputy Chief Minister post. This is the first time that BJP is in the government in the state.

Accompanied by chief interlocutor of PDP Haseeb Drabu, Sayeed had a nearly one-hour long meeting with Modi during which he extended invitation to the PM for attending the swearing-in ceremony at Jammu on March one.

Modi and Sayeed were all smiles as they hugged and posed for cameras with their photographs trending on social networks within minutes.

“I have extended invitation to the Prime Minister for attending the ceremony and he has agreed,” Sayeed told reporters after the meeting at PM’s official residence at 7, Race Course Road.

He refused to answer any specific questions on controversial issues like Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) or Article 370 and said the Common Minimum programme (CMP) will be announced at 3 PM on Sunday.

He said lot of discussions have taken place for the past two months to forge a common ground, a common agenda. He equated the PDP-BJP coalition with “bringing together of North Pole with South Pole”.

“The mandate of election is clear that PDP is the choice of people in Kashmir and BJP in Jammu. So we decided that we will unite together to give a government which will give all round development to all the regions in the state,” he said.

“It was discussed how a stable government should be formed. The PDP was of the view that we should not allow the opportunity to go waste as it was a historic opportunity with the government at the Centre that has a clear mandate of people to deliver,” he said.

Sayeed, who will be returning to power after a gap of more than nine years, backed Modi’s slogan, saying, “I also want Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas (development for all).” He was the Chief Minister of the state from November, 2002 to 2005.

When asked about Article 370 which gives special status to the state and AFSPA, Sayeed said, “Leave these issues. These are not issues. We have to do all this (hame karna padta hai)…All this will come in the Common Minimum Programme which will be announced after the swearing-in.”

Asked whether PDP was joining NDA at the Centre, Sayeed said, “it is too early to say that. Ministers will be decided soon. We have found common ground.”

To a question whether the CMP was for governance or for political alliance, he said, “It (the alliance) is both for political and governance. First political and then governance. When political atmosphere will be right then only governance will take place.”

Questioned whether it is a tough road ahead, Sayeed said, “I think it is alright. The PM also has a vision. I think he also understands that it (the alliance) has to be made to work.”

“Both regions (Kashmir and Jammu) should be brought together. On external dimension (mending ties with Pakistan), policy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee should be carried forward. Modiji has agreed,” he said.

The PDP patron said he aims to give a “healing touch” as anguish in one part of the huge country is not a good thing.

“My view was that an opportunity has come that Jammu region and Kashmir region will come together. If BJP got mandate in Jammu and PDP in Kashmir Valley, therefore they have got support of people. There is credibility. When they will merge, it will be dejure. It takes six hours from Jammu to the Valley, but opportunity is there to connect hearts and minds of people,” he said.

Sayeed said second aspect is when former Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Kashmir in 2002-03, he started a journey of friendship in Srinagar.

“He extended a hand of friendship towards Pakistan, saying we can change friends but not our neighbours. So (the then Pakistan President Pervez) Musharraf also responded. It is the dream of the Prime Minister and mine to develop Kashmir as an ‘island of peace’. So, in that process, it is necessary to engage Pakistan,” he said.

“….so I want to repeat history. Today, the Prime Minister has mandate of the people. He has got full legitimacy to deliver,” he said.

The December 23 election results saw a highly-fractured mandate with PDP emerging as single-largest party with 28 MLAs followed by BJP with 25. Erstwhile allies National Conference and Congress ended with 15 and 12 seats respectively.

BJP and PDP, which have been in negotiations for nearly two months now, have sorted out all the differences over Article 370, Armed Forces Special Powers Act, resettlement of West Pakistan Refugees and holding of talks with Pakistan and separatist leaders of the state.

(PTI)

PDP, BJP reach agreement to form coalition govt in J&K

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Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed will be the Kashmir chief minister after his party reached an agreement for forming a government with Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), top party sources said on Saturday.

Sources close to PDP patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, who returned to winter capital Jammu Friday after spending a week in Mumbai, told IANS an agreement had been reached on all contentious issues between the PDP and the BJP.

“Yes, main agreement has been reached on the draft of the CMP (common minimum programme) on contentious issues like article 370, armed forces special powers act (AFSPA) and the plight of West Pakistan refugees.

“It has been agreed that without any written reference to it, both the parties would respect the wishes of the people of the state in consonance with the constitution of the country with regard to article 370,” a top party source told IANS.

As per the agreement, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed will be the chief minister for the full six years.

The PDP insider who is engaged with the BJP in the dialogue process on government formation on behalf of his party also said instead of accepting the demand that the AFSPA should be revoked from the entire state within one year, it has now been agreed by the two parties that a committee would be formed which would recommend gradual, but timely, revocation of the act from areas in the state.

Sources in the BJP said: “The PDP has agreed to the BJP demand that the CMP should accept that the problems faced by West Pakistan refugees should not be politicized, but treated as a humanitarian issue that needs to be addressed on humanitarian grounds.”

When asked to comment on media reports that government formation in the state was imminent because the PDP and the BJP had agreed on the draft of the common minimum programme (CMP) for governance, party chief spokesman Naeem Akhtar told IANS in winter capital Jammu: “I am meeting Mufti Sahib today and if anything has been worked out, we will hold a briefing about it during the day.”

Unlike his steady dismissal of any agreement with the BJP during the last nearly two months when he maintained the “structured dialogue between the BJP and the PDP had not even started”, Akhtar sounded less circumspect Saturday about his lack of knowledge regarding an agreement on the common minimum programme with the BJP.

West Pakistan refugees are those over 25,000 families who came to the state after the India-Pakistan wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971.

Since these people were not citizens of the erstwhile state of Kashmir as it existed before accession to India in 1947, they cannot vote in the state assembly elections, nor buy property in the state.

These refugees cannot apply for government jobs since all the state government jobs in Kashmir are reserved for permanent residents of the state.

As an anomaly, the West Pakistan refugees can vote in the parliament elections, but not in the state assembly elections since the state has a constitution of its own in addition to the country’s constitution and both apply concomitantly to the state.

With regard to the PDP demand on return of NHPC owned hydro-electric power projects in the state to state ownership, the sources said it had been agreed that the two would work together for central assistance for state ownership of these projects.

“The nuts and bolts job has been completed. All that now remains is an announcement on the agreement between the two which could be made within the next two to three days,” said sources.

The sources added that Mufti Mohammaad Sayeed would formally call on prime minister Narendra Modi after the PDP and the BJP announce having formalized the draft of the CMP.

(IANS)

Protests in Anantnag against blasphemous posters

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Representational Image.

Representational Image.

Srinagar: Protests erupted in Anantnag on Saturday after blasphemous posters surfaced in the town, the eyewitness said.

The eyewitness said the posters insulting Islam’s Prophet were thrown out from a fast moving car which scattered along the road in Tool Roonipora village of Anantnag.

After seeing the posters, the people of the area took out a protest march towards Achabal town where forces baton-charged them.

“The forces baton-charged the protesters in Achabal town and also detained some of them,” an eyewitness said.

The incident has forced a shutdown in Tool Roonipora village.

District administration and senior police officials have reached the spot to pacify the angry protestors.

(AM)

Kashmiri Pandits protest to commemorate 25 years of their exile

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Kashmiri Pandits

Srinagar: A group of Kashmiri Pandits Monday staged a protest in Srinagar to commemorate the 25 years of their migration from Kashmir.

The protesting group urged the regional and federal governments to issue a white paper roadmapping their return to the Kashmir valley.

“We are holding a bigger protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to highlight our problems. Since we belong to Kashmir which is our homeland, we decided to hold a symbolic protest here also,” Vinod Pandit said.

The chairman of the all parties migrant coordination committee (APMCC), told reporters: “It was on this day in 1990 that a forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits began.”

Thousands of Pandits left Kashmir in 1990 when infamous Jagmoham Malhotra was sent by New Delhi as the governor of the region to contain the eruption of armed insurgency against India’s rule.

(With inputs from IANS)

Governor's rule imposed in Jammu and Kashmir

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Jammu-Kashmir

New Delhi: The Centre has recommended Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir after the major parties failed to form government in the state, an IBN report said on Friday.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had received J&K Governor NN Vohra’s report on Thursday night on the government formation in the state.

Jammu and Kashmir went to polls along with Jharkhand and the counting of votes for the two states took place on December 23. While government in Jharkhand has already been formed, Jammu and Kashmir has been deprived of a popular government as no major party – PDP (28 seats), BJP (25 seats). National Conference (15) and Congress (12) – could cobble up the magic figure of 44 seats in the 87-member state Assembly.

In his report, Vohra is understood to have recommended imposition of Governor’s rule saying on the ground that immediate formation of government seems difficult in the state.

How Narendra Modi-led government in Delhi is choking Kashmir

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Photo: PTI

Photo: PTI

by Amanjeet Singh, Authint Mail

India’s new economic policies on Kashmir indicate that hard days may be ahead for people of the cash starved region.

Departing from its earlier stance, Narendra Modi’s BJP led government at the Centre has embarked on blocking schemes and subsidies which could have eased the sufferings of the state that was hit by a devastating flood in September last year.

Kashmir is reeling under darkness which causes immense sufferings, especially in winter when people are dependent on electricity to fight the biting chill.

However, while the urban areas are provided with 10-12 hours of power supply per day, the condition is even worse in rural areas.

The state faced the first disappointment in Delhi when the Centre turned down the request of funds by the state government for developing electricity infrastructure in the trouble-torn state.

Under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme launched by former prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh in 2004, this year required additional funds to trim distribution and transmission loss.

A sum of INR 124 million was required and after lengthy discussion between officials of the state and central government, the state failed to get the additional assistance.

Kashmir is gifted with water resources to generate electricity, but the maximum share of electricity generated is transmitted to other parts of India in accordance with the pacts signed by the state and central governments. Omar Abdullah-led coalition government had pitched hard for returning of power projects to the state, but he failed to make a breakthrough.

The Power Development Department in Kashmir has been urging people to use electricity judiciously. While the load has spiked to over 1500 MW, the department is only able to provide 1100 MW and it has also accused the people of electricity theft.

Another disappointment for the people came on the New Year eve when the federal petroleum ministry reduced the quota of kerosene oil supplied to Kashmir. As per previous decision, every household used to get 4.48 litres of kerosene from the allocated 4.8 million litres per month to the state. However, under the new quota, a household will only get 3 litres per month.

The people of the state are dependent on kerosene for lighting up stoves and wood-powered chimneys extensively used in winter when the region is cut off from mainland India due to snow. The region is already facing shortage of kerosene with only 33 percent of the required amount being supplied. Being one of the major sources of heating and cooking in the state in tough winter conditions, this unprecedented move by the government of India will create more anger as their sufferings will grow.

The Modi-led government also waived off subsidy on transportation of wheat from the base camp in Jammu to Srinagar, creating difference in wheat prices between two regions of the same state. As subsidy was cut, wheat prices saw a hike of INR 200 in Kashmir with people forced to bear the additional cost which by previously born by federal government.

The proverbial nail in the coffin came when the Centre withheld the financial assistance of INR 440,000 million to rebuild the flood ravaged Kashmir. A proposal which was sent from by the state government to the Centre couldn’t made any headway even after four months since the flood hit the region.

While Modi has been making big promises in his speeches on developing Kashmir, but the reality on ground shows that his government has become indifferent to the needs of the people. In his speeches, he regularly talks of uplifting the economically deprived people, but these new decisions show that his promises are all talk and no meat.

PDP, BJP may shake hands but hiccups remain

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“PDP’s priority is not to cobble up a majority for the sake of government formation,” party leader Mehbooba Mufti said in Jammu after meeting Governor N.N. Vohra on Wednesday. Photo: The Hindu

“PDP’s priority is not to cobble up a majority for the sake of government formation,” party leader Mehbooba Mufti said in Jammu after meeting Governor N.N. Vohra on Wednesday. Photo: The Hindu

Srinagar/Jammu: The PDP and the BJP, the two largest groups in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, said Thursday they were prepared to form a government amid signs of problems in stitching an alliance.

A day after a Peoples Democratic Party delegation met Governor N.N. Vohra, a BJP team called on him Thursday briefly and then said that it was committed to giving the state a stable government.

A PDP leader told IANS that channels of communication were open between the two parties. “But a structured dialogue is yet to start,” PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar said.

BJP state president Jugul Kishore said earlier that the BJP was committed to forming a stable government in the troubled state.

And he added that formal talks on establishing a coalition with the PDP were set to begin.

The PDP agreed, saying Kashmir needed a stable government to surmount the multiple problems it is facing.

“The talks are going to begun, the talks will be held in a congenial atmosphere,” Jugal Kishore said.

The PDP has 28 members in the 87-member hung house and the BJP 25.

“The priority is a stable government,” Kishore said. “We are not in a hurry to form a government.”

He said any coalition government which takes office will be in power for six years until the next election.

On Wednesday, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav greeted PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti’s laudatory reference to former prime minister and the now ailing BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

PDP insiders said Thursday that there were roadblocks that would have to be removed before starting a structured dialogue on power sharing starts between the PDP and the BJP.

“We are in conformity with the BJP on development, tackling corruption and unemployment, and industry and tourism. But the ideological divergence will have to find some meeting ground,” said the source.

The PDP and the BJP appear to realize that the highly polarized verdict — the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley voted for the former and the overwhelmingly Hindu Jammu region voted for the latter — will have to be reconciled and a common minimum programme unveiled.

PDP insiders admit that allowing the differences to remain unresolved could force a spell of Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

Neither party has publicly stated what the problems are but sources in both say there are differences over what constitutes the Kashmir problem, as well as whether one party will hold the chief minister’s post for six years or if the post will be shared during the six-year period.

Jammu and Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state, has always had a Muslim chief minister. If the BJP gets to govern the state, it will get a Hindu chief minister.

(IANS)

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