Srinagar:
Farooq Abdullah, the chief of the National Conference, has denied allegations that his party sells key positions and offices in Jammu and Kashmir to the highest bidder. "The National Conference has never asked for money and it will remain the same in the future as well," he said in Delhi today.
In the last few days, accusations of "political payoffs" have been hurled at Mr Abdullah and his son Omar who is also the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. While the Abdullahs insist their government is not on dangerous ground, recent events have brought inclement political weather to their state. Their partner, the Congress, has said it continues to support the National Conference.
Opposition parties insist that Omar must resign as Chief Minister and Farooq as union minister.
The provocation is rooted in the death last week of a man named Syed Yousuf Shah, who allegedly functioned as a fixer within the Abdullahs' party. Mr Shah died hours after he was summoned to the Chief Minister's home with two men who had reportedly paid more than a crore to be made a minister and a member of the state legislative council. Omar says he had received complaints that Mr Shah was accepting bribes and promising important government posts to those who paid up. So he asked the alleged bribe-givers and Mr Shah to see him. The Chief Minister then handed over the three men to the Crime Branch. Mr Shah died within hours; a post-mortem says he had no external injuries and died of a heart attack.
Abdul Salam Reshi offers a version of that fateful meeting at the Chief Minister's house that could enforce more crisis-management from the Abdullahs. Mr Reshi was at Omar Abdulalh's house with Mr Shah because he had allegedly paid the National Conference activist 34 lakhs for a seat on the Legislative Council. He says that when Mr Shah was led away by the police, he seemed unwell. "I saw him in the Gypsy. His condition was grave, he was vomiting. Blood was also flowing into the box into which he was vomiting. I saw this with my own eyes," he recounts.
Mr Reshi also alleges that the Abdullahs were aware of Mr Shah's illicit business transactions within the party. According to Mr Reshi, he informed the Chief Minister more than two months ago about the money Mr Shah was charging him. "He could have given the matter to the Crime Branch at that time and the truth would have come out," he told NDTV. "When I gave the money, I asked Yousuf, 'Does Omar know?' Yousuf said, 'Of course Omar knows.' I told Omar that clearly when I met him. Omar asked, "Why did you give it?' and I said 'I gave it as he introduced me to you and to Dr Farooq... I gave it to the man who was close to you'."
When asked about Mr Reshi's damaging statement, Dr Abduallh said, "Anyone can mention anybody's name. You cannot stop anyone. This is a democratic country, not an autocratic country."
The main opposition party, the PDP, accuses the Abdullahs of a giant cover-up and says Mr Reshi's remarks are "corroborating evidence". PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti says that a judicial commission set up to investigate Mr Shah's death cannot function independently.
"How is it possible? The judge who will be inquiring the case will not be answerable to my government. Where does the question of influence arise?" Omar asked in Delhi today. "People have lot of faith in the courts. So let us not make a mockery of the faith of millions of people," he added.
Omar said the state government has written to Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice requesting him to appoint a Commission of Inquiry. He has offered to appear before the commission.
The BJP has also rejected the judicial commission's prerogative to handle the case. Today, a spokesperson said Mr Shah's death was not an internal matter of the National Conference.