Minister to MLA: 'you are agent of Pakistan', gets to hear back, 'you sold blood of martyrs'

JAMMU: The meeting of District Development Board in Kupwara today exposed thin lines between Kashmir's separatist and mainstream political spectrum when a Minister and Legislator hurled invectives at each other.
"Distance between the seats of Social Welfare Minister Sajjad Lone and Langate MLA Engineer Rasheed prevented a physical brawl between the two as the duo held the meeting hostage to their ugly arguments", said an officer who attended the meeting. The DDB Chairman and Food and Supplies Minister Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali had tough time managing the floor when Minister and MLA entered into mudslinging at each other.
Engineer Rasheed said, Social Welfare Minister Lone and his party colleague Bashir Ahmed Dar tried to physically assault him. This has been confirmed by several officers who attended the meeting at district headquarters Kupwara.
"The timely intervention of Zulfkar, Rural Development Minister Abdul Haq Khan and some MLAs prevented situation from taking further ugly turn", said a witness.
An unpleasant situation erupted when maverick MLA Rasheed reminded government of its commitment to investigate last year Handwara incident which had resulted in death of five people, within the stipulated time. He had lashed out at government for not fulfilling the promise, despite promising complete investigation within a month and not doing anything even after a year.
He said that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had promised jobs to family members of victims killed in the episode but it all proved just a false promise and her credibility got exposed.
As Rasheed lashed out at Ministers present in the meeting for "spreading terror in the valley especially in Kupwara," Spokesman alleged that Abdul Haq Khan and Sajad Lone accused Rasheed of encouraging stone pelters and acting like their spokesman.
Sajad Lone reacted sharply to Rasheed's remarks and called him a "militant sympathiser and Pakistani Agent," which Rasheed responded with counter charges. He accused Sajad Lone of cheating his people and selling blood of martyrs to gain power and position in mainstream politics.
He asked Sajad Lone to explain "what does he stand for and whether he has deviated from the mission of his late father or not." This irritated Sajad Lone and his colleague Bashir Ahmad Dar who would have caught Rasheed physically but at this stage he left the meeting.