Mehbooba storms out of Cabinet meet

 Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday evening walked out of a cabinet meeting over difference with BJP ministers, indicating a major rift in the ruling alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.

The dispute over the cadre restructuring of gazetted police services, commonly known as the Kashmir Police Service (KPS), is believed to be the bone of contention.
BJP ministers reportedly opposed posting KPS officers as DIGs and above, a proposal mooted by the chief minister,  who also holds the charge of the Home Department.

Sources said as soon Mehbooba left the meeting, BJP ministers met in the office of the Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, and later rushed to the chief minister’s
residence.

The other issue which angered Mehbooba, sources said, was the opposition by BJP ministers to replace incumbent Chief Secretary B R Sharma with senior bureaucrat
B B Vyas. “During the meeting, the deputy chief minister argued that they (BJP) will have to first seek consent from New Delhi,” a source said.

Mehbooba took three months to commit to the alliance with the BJP after her father’s demise in January this year as the two parties agreed on a common agenda. But differences have started surfacing recently.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday dismissed reports that its officers had applied for a protest leave over the issue of delay in cadre restructuring.

On Saturday, rumors were flying thick and fast that KPS officers were contemplating to go on protest leave. However, a police spokesperson said none of its officers has applied for leave.

Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu also dismissed the reports that there were differences within the coalition government over the cadre restructuring of KPS.

The PDP leader said a Cabinet sub-committee, comprising members from both the parties, has been formed on the instructions of the chief minister to look into the issue.

There is a strong resentment in the entire middle-rung cadre of the Jammu and Kashmir Police as promotions at various levels have been held up by the Home Department, notwithstanding clearance from the top echelons of power. During the last budget session, Mehbooba had announced on the floor of the House that a separate cadre would be raised for the KPS within one month,  similar to the Kashmir Administrative Service.