The fierce street anger in which three people have died as protests spread against the transfer of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has precipitated into a political crisis.
PDP withdraws support on the Amarnath issue
SRINAGAR: The fierce street anger in which three people have died as protests spread against the transfer of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has precipitated into a major political crisis with People's Democratic Party (PDP) withdrawing support to the Congress-led government reducing it to the minority in Jammu and Kashmir.
The two parties had entered into a power a sharing agreement after September 2002 assembly elections in which the chief minister's post was to be rotated between the two for three years each in the six year assembly..
Despite the Congress having more numbers, the PDP got the first shot at the coveted post after Congress' central leadership allowed Mufti Muhammad Sayyed to become the chief minister for the first three years.
The withdrawal of support was announced by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti at her fortified residence in Srinagar only a few blocks away from Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's home `Talay Manzil'. “The situation warrants no delay in government's responsibility to immediately revoke land diversion order which is at the heart of the crisis. It is our view that unfortunately the government has not acted deliberately to defuse the present crisis,” said Mehbooba.
“It is our moral responsibility to disassociate from the government without further delay,” she added.
PDP president said she was contacted by union home minister Shivraj Patil and National Security Advisor MK Naryanan requesting her not to withdraw support as they would find a way out to the crisis.
The Ghulam Nabi Azad-led government has now virtually been reduced to a minority government unless a no confidence motion is called. Given the political situation in the state that, however, looks unlikely.
PDP has 19 legislators in the 87-member Legislative assembly. It was the major party to support the Congress which has 21 members supported by eight independents. It also had the support of two legislators of CPI (M) and of legislator from People's Democratic Forum.
“We will face the situation as it unfolds. We can still remain in power for six months as there is a provision in constitution under caretaker status,” said Abdual Gani Vakil, senior vice president of Congress.
National Conference president Omar Abdullah has called for a meeting of its members today to chalk out the future course of action. “Withdrawing from the government does not absolve PDP of the mistakes it committed. It was the PDP ministers Muzaffar Baig and Qazi Afzal who cleared the land deal”, he said.
h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net
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