Mehbooba sacks minister for controversial remark

Two days after Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister  Haseeb Drabu's controversial statement that Kashmir is 'not a political issue' sparked a storm, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday sacked him from the cabinet.

Sources said that after a meeting between Mehbooba and senior PDP leaders, a letter was sent to J&K Governor N N Vohra, informing him about the removal of Drabu on grounds of violation of party norms.

Late in the evening Raj Bhavan sources said the Governor approved the chief minister's proposal to drop Drabu from the council of ministers with immediate effect.

Speaking at an event themed 'Kashmir: The Way Forward' in Delhi on Saturday, Drabu had said that Kashmir should not be seen as a conflict state or a political problem but as a society with social issues. The statement drew sharp criticism not only from the Opposition parties, but also from leaders of ruling Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), prompting the chief minister to take action.

The disciplinary committee of the PDP had sent a letter to Drabu saying: "Your statement has the potential of creating a serious dent to the image and credibility of the party. Therefore you are advised to explain as to why statement detrimental to the party interests was made."

PDP vice president and Mehbooba's uncle, Sartaj Madni while asking the minister to retract the statement immediately had said the party recognizes Jammu and Kashmir as a political issue and ever since its advent, the party has relentlessly been pursuing its resolution through reconciliation and dialogue, both at internal and external levels.  

Drabu's statement came at a time when the PDP and its coalition partner, the BJP, are at loggerheads over a range of issues, with Mehbooba openly pressing for talks with Pakistan on Kashmir while the saffron party adopting a different line.  

Drabu, who was a key PDP pointsman in setting the contours of its alliance with the BJP in 2015, also played an important role in the formulation of the GST last year.  

Meanwhile, state BJP while endorsing Drabu's statement said that Kashmir was not a political issue and the "only issue is to get Pakistan occupied Kashmir back."

"There is no problem with what Drabu said. There is no problem in Jammu and Kashmir; the only problem is to get PoK back," BJP General Secretary (organization) Ashok Koul said.