Srinagar, Oct 18 (KNS): A day after Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said that Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medial Sciences (SKIMS) was his idea, his political rival, National Conference, laughed off the claim saying that it was “ridiculous” that a chief minister could distort history.
NC General Secretary and MLA Khanyar, Ali Mohammad Sagar said that the chief minister’s claims about SKIMS are “laughable.”
“The statement given by the Chief Minister on SKIMS makes him a laughing stock. It is ridiculous. Mufti Sahab is making jokes of himself by such statements,” Sagar told KNS.
The NC leader said that a day is not too far when Mufti Sahab will say that ‘Land to Tiller’, ‘Naya Kashmir’ and Right to free education were his ideas too.
“Being a chief minister of the state, Mufti Sahab should not have given such statements,” he said, adding, that he (Mufti) himself stated in the recently concluded Assembly session that Sheri-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was his leader and his leadership inspired him.
Sagar was reacting to the chief minister’s speech made during the foundation-laying ceremony of 500-bed Maternity and Children Hospital in Bemina here on Saturday
Mufti had said that it was his vision to have SKIMS as an expandable, state-of-the-art institute when he was Urban Development Minister in Mir Qasim-led government in 1973.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
“It was during my visit as Minister for Urban Development in 1973 through the area that I ordered that the land be fenced and used for a hospital, which people later referred to as SKIMS. The land was otherwise earmarked for rehabilitation of dislocated persons of Nallahmar Project,” he had said.
"I had crossed my limits as the Cabinet was yet to approve the transfer of land. However, the magnanimous Chief Minister ignored my 'lapse'," he had said, adding, “Today SKIMS has a standard and likewise it is my vision to make J&K a hub of healthcare and education.” he said.
The NC leader said that such statements were an attempt to “distort” the history and legacy of Sheri-Kashmir. (KNS)