Sacking a warning not to go against party line: PDP leaders concede writing on wall

Mir Farhat. Updated: 3/18/2018 2:07:11 AM Front Page

Drabu, Hussain Aftermath

SRINAGAR: The sacking of finance minister Dr Haseeb Drabu from his prestigious ministry and relieving Peer Mansoor's son from Additional advocate general's job are "strong messages" to the PDP brass, with party leaders insisting that both the decisions indicate Mehbooba Mufti reasserting her firm grip on the party.
The News Now spoke to a number of legislators and ministers in the party about the impact both the decisions have on the internal working of the party and the message they convey to them.
A senior leader of the party from North Kashmir said that the decisions convey terse messages to all the party leaders and activists that speaking or acting against the party's "core agenda and discipline" cannot be tolerated at any cost.
"The message is clear and strong: No matter how big a leader one is or how much one has worked for the party, going against the core ideology simply mean you are out of the turf," the leader said.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti sacked Drabu for terming Kashmir apolitical issue but a social issue. Drabu was immediately sacked without Mehbooba giving him an audience.
"The statement was terribly wrong. Had the party president not acted, it will have clearly meant that PDP has sold its basic ideology for power," a PDP minister told The News Now.
Even after his sacking, no angry reaction or protest took place in Rajpora constituency, which Drabu represents. People in the constituency are angry with him neglecting the area and for not sanctioning any major development project despite his promises during after his election as MLA.
Sources in the party said that Drabu fears losing his membership should he speak anything more.
Peer Hussain, who is a senior member of the PDP and was close to late Mufti Sayeed, paid a heavy cost when his son, Hashim Hussain, was disengaged from his services as Additional Advocate General.
Hussain while appreciating Mehbooba for sacking Drabu said "more such steps need to be taken to revive the PDP at grass roots and the "coterie of political sycophants" surrounding Mehbooba need to be ousted.
Hussain told The News Now that he had organised the meeting with his workers in Shangus assembly segment of Anantnag.
"I am the senior member of PDP. I had called PDP workers to the meeting. Holding a meeting is not against party. My son was removed on the insistence of sycophants. I am a politician and I will carry on my political work my constituency," he said.
Hussain said that the meeting has rattled sycophants in PDP and they felt it a challenge.
"Party meeting se kuch loog hill gaye. Aur sycophants ko challenge laga," he said.
A source in the party said that Mehbooba may send strong signal to three other party leaders for "not conforming to the party discipline and "interfering in governance issues and recruitment processes."
The source said Mehbooba is well aware that a few ministers and senior party functionaries are "misusing" their positions for their own interests which are creating a negative public perception about PDP.
Recently, PDP vice president Sartaj Madni's son was appointed in Khadi and Village Board, while PDP General Secretary Mansoor Hussain appointed his daughter in Social Welfare Department. Both the appointments created uproar in the state and dented the PDP's image further.
"Our party was an alternative to National Conference years of misgovernance and nepotism. People voted us for good governance and resolving Kashmir's political issue. Both form the core of our agenda," a senior PDP leader said.
"But the recent developments and Drabu's statements are completely against that agenda. So action was necessitated in both the cases, else people will call us a copy-cat party of our opponents," he said.


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