Has never asked for ministry, will never quit NC: Beg
Srinagar: National Conference senior leader and former Member Parliament Dr Mehbooba Beg’s brazen allegations against his party colleague and finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather are seen as a pressure tactics adopted by him to get accommodated into the council of ministry through the route of Legislative Council.
Senior leaders in National Conference have taken Beg’s salvo against Rather and NC senior leadership as a ‘manipulative negotiation’ to settle scores with the party leadership. “I have heard that Beg sahib had informed the party leadership some 15 days ago that he should be accommodated in the council of ministry through the route of Legislative Council. But the party is yet to take any decision on this as the present MLCs have few years left in their tenure,” a former minister and senior leader of NC told KNS, pleading anonymity.
Another former minister and senior leader of NC added that Beg has almost conceded his defeat in the upcoming assembly elections and is now trying to sustain in the political realm. “Given the PDP’s strength in south Kashmir which is acknowledged by one and all, I think Beg wants to be in the good books of the opposition party in view of the just concluded Lok Sabha results,” the former NC minister added. He said that Beg wanted that South Kashmir be given some representation in the council of ministry so he had approached the party leadership for the same. “He has been adamant on this issue seeking a ministerial berth and wanted the NC leadership to go for a reshuffle in the ministerial council,” the NC senior leader informed KNS.
When contacted, Dr Mehboob Beg told KNS: “I have not asked for ministry to my party leadership. The remarks I made are based on the feedback I have got from the party cadres, workers in South Kashmir.”
Asked why he pin pointed the finance minister in his speech and why not the whole leadership for dismal performance in just concluded Lok Sabah elections, Beg said that he has nothing personal against Mr Rather and the appointments in Jammu and Kashmir bank can be verified by anyone. “If appointments in JK Bank are done under certain norms and guidelines, then why most of the employees in JK Bank are form from Charar-e-Shareef alone. Whey not from any other place especially in the south Kashmir.”
Asked if he is being offered any safe constituency by the opposition PDP for the upcoming assembly elections, Beg refuted the assertion saying that he is not in touch with any political party nor will he do that. “It is not for any political mileage but I wanted to know the reason for our humiliating defeat in just concluded Lok Sabah elections. And whatever I said yesterday is based on the feedback and what conclusion I had arrived at after meeting my party workers in South Kashmir.” When asked will he quit National Conference, Beg said: “No why should I quit. I will never do that.” The former MP said that the NC leadership has taken note of his remarks made on his father’s anniversary but they have not contacted him sofar.