National Conference Sunday, while expressing disappointment and amusement at various Cabinet Ministers ‘openly overruling’ Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, claimed such incidents exposed Mufti Sayeed’s and PDP’s complete sell-out to the BJP for the sole aim of clinging on to the CM’s chair at any cost.
In a statement to KNS NC spokesman claimed the most recent in the spate of such incidents of the CM being overruled was when Health Minister Lal Singh on Saturday overruled Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s standing instructions of relocating gynecological ward from the GB Pant Children’s Hospital.
“Rather than trying to validate even ten percent of PDP’s pre-election rhetoric and chest-thumping, Mufti Sayeed has become a willing puppet in the hands of the BJP just as long as he gets to remain in power. This indictment is not only a curtain-raiser on the inherent political DNA of the PDP but is also a stark reminder of PDP’s betrayal with the people of J&K viz-a-viz its alliance with the BJP is concerned. Never before has the stature and authority of the Chief Minister’s Office been discredited in such a brazen manner by none other than Cabinet Minister who head important departments,” he said.
“During his tour to the GB Pant Hospital, CM Mufti Sayeed gave official instructions to shift the gynecological ward from the Hospital. Following this, written orders were issued by the Health and Medical Education Department to the Government Medical College, Srinagar to ensure implementation of the directive issued by the Chief Minister. Lo and behold, the very next day Mufti Sahab’s Health Minister visited the hospital on Saturday and overturned the directives issued by the Chief Minister himself. Such belittling of the Chief Minister’s office is unprecedented. When the Chief Minister does not have the confidence and respect from his own Cabinet, how can he even attempt to guide this State and its Administration?Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel” he added.
The NC spokesman said this was not an isolated incident but there had been many such incidents where Cabinet Minister had overruled the Chief Minister of the State. “We witnessed how the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh overturned several transfer orders that were authorized by the Chief Minister. Then we went on to see how the Minister for Urban Development and Housing said there was no need to compensate the State for the September floods more than a paltry amount of 3,000 odd crores which the Minister had termed as ‘adequate’. Then there is the ongoing slew of contradictions between Cabinet Ministers in the Mufti Cabinet about the selective eviction of Muslims from forest areas in Jammu. Cabinet Minister are openly trivializing the authority and sanctity of the Chief Minister’s Office and PDP’s apologetic silence on this is extremely tragic,” he said.
While lashing out at PDP for “lowering the stature, authority and sanctity” of the Chief Minister’s post, the NC Spokesman said, “This complete surrender was in stark contrast to PDP’s moralistic rhetoric ahead of the Assembly Elections. The previous National Conference-led Government was led by a strong Chief Minister and despite that too being a coalition government; the Chief Minister’s authority was never compromised with or diluted.”
“In complete contrast to that, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has bartered the constitutional authority of the Chief Minister’s office for a bargain of remaining in power. This surrender will have far-reaching adverse implications for the State and will put a big question mark on the credibility of public institutions including the Chief Minister’s office,” he added.