Tassaduq Mufti’s LC nomination: Dilawar calls it ‘constitutional cover’
Srinagar: To provide constitutional cover to Tassaduq Mufti, brother of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is all set to nominate him as member of legislative council (LC) before appointing him as tourism minister.
The nomination of Tassaduq, who is presently working as coordinator Chief Minister’s grievance cell in May, to the LC came up for discussion during the meeting of PDP’s political affairs committee last week.
“I just gave suggestion that Tassaduq should be given a constitutional position by nominating him to the legislative council,” senior PDP leader Dilawar Mir told Kashmir Vision.
Mir said that many people are raising questions when Tassaduq issues any direction to a public authority.
“They want to know in what capacity Tasaduq is functioning. So, I suggested it is better to accommodate him and give him a constitutional cover,” Mir said.
Notably, an LC seat has fallen vacant after the resignation of Vikramaditya Singh, the eldest son of senior Congress leader Karan Singh, from the LC and the PDP as well.
Singh resigned to protest against government’s refusal to declare his grandfather’s death anniversary as state holiday and alleged neglect of political aspirations of people in Jammu region.
The chairman of the LC Haji Inaytullah said Singh’s resignation has been accepted last month. “We are waiting for the decision of the ruling PDP-BJP to nominate someone to fill the vacant seat,” he said.
Singh was nominated to the LC by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed soon after the formation of the PDP-BJP government in 2015.
Official sources said after nomination to LC, Tassaduq, a cinematographer turned politician, will be inducted into State Cabinet as tourism and culture minister. He will replace CM’s uncle and sitting minister Farooq Ahmad Andrabi.
“Induction of Tassaduq into the cabinet is the prerogative of the Chief Minister and I can’t comment on that,” Mir said.
Officials and some politicians were angry due to Tassaduq’s interference into the functioning of their departments, necessitating the legal and constitutional cover to his authority as the coordinator of the CM’s grievance cell.
KV Correspondent
