Jammu, September 3
While Sonia Gandhi was engaged in dinner diplomacy between the Congress and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, her ally in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has surprised political circles by snatching the important portfolio of environment and forests from Qazi Afzal, who belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Azad divested Qazi of the portfolio yesterday before flying to New Delhi to attend the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Sonia was also invited to the dinner during which they discussed various issues that were troubling the Congress-PDP coalition.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has convened a meeting of the political affairs committee (PAC) and other senior leaders of the party at Srinagar on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

When contacted, Qazi said he was unaware why Azad had clipped his wings. He said Azad rang him up and during the brief talk he only informed him that he had been relieved of the environment and forests portfolio.

A four-line government notification issued by the general administration department (GAD) said, “The portfolio of Forest, Environment and Ecology shall henceforth remain with the Chief Minister”.

The issue is learnt to have come up during the PM’s dinner where Mufti is reported to have informed Sonia Gandhi that such actions had created bad blood in the coalition. The Mufti was also not given any prior information by the Chief Minister about the removal of the PDP minister.

Earlier, Azad had vainly tried to snatch the finance portfolio from Tariq Hamid Karra of the PDP. However, he was made to restore the portfolio to Karra when Sonia Gandhi intervened.

Azad and the Mufti have adopted completely opposite stands on the issue of troop reduction in the state. While the Centre had appointed top-level committees for this purpose and started gradual re-location of troops following a series of meetings between Manmohan Singh and the Mufti, Azad had opposed the idea in his public meetings.

Another provocation for the PDP was that Azad had so far failed to replace the Congress nominated chairpersons of various boards and corporations with those belonging to the PDP as was reportedly decided earlier between the two parties.

These chairpersons were appointed during the period when the Mufti was heading the government and they were supposed to be replaced with those belonging to the PDP when Azad became CM two years ago.

The Mufti is learnt to have informed Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh that he was standing steadfast with them despite such provocations.

Srinagar, September 3
Senior PDP leader Qazi Mohammad Afzal has described the Chief Minister’s decision to relieve him of the portfolio of Forest, Environment and Ecology as hasty and has taken up the matter with his party while describing himself as innocent.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday night ordered that the portfolio of Forest, Environment and Ecology would henceforth remain with the Chief Minister.

Afzal, who had been a minister of state in the Mufti-led coalition government, was inducted into Azad’s council of ministers as a Cabinet minister in 2005. He also holds the portfolio of Housing and Urban Development.

Talking to a local news agency here today, Afzal said he would not resign as he continued to hold the portfolio of housing and urban minister. He lamented that any future strategy in this regard would be worked out by the PDP, which he represents in the council of ministers apart from other representatives.

“I have taken up the issue with the party (PDP) and any decision taken by it will be acceptable to me”, he said here. “I have been working honestly and I am not at fault”, he added in reply to a question. He made it clear that he was not involved in any “scandal” and no charges had been leveled against him.

He held that he had no differences with the Chief Minister and he had worked as sincerely with him, as with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed when he had been the Chief Minister. Qazi, however, lamented that the Chief Minister did not consult the PDP on his decision to relieve him of the charges of the vital portfolio.

Jammu, September 3
Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt today offered prayers at the Vaishnodevi cave shrine near Jammu, but the government car and a police escort provided to the Mumbai blasts case convict has sparked a controversy.

The 48-year-old star, who will be interim bail at least till September 27, paid obeisance at the shrine nestled in the Trikuta hills for about half-an-hour. Accompanied by girlfriend Manyata and two friends, Dutt also performed special “aarti” and donated money.

“Dutt visited the shrine like all other devotees and no special arrangements were made for him,” Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine board Puneet Kumar said from Katra.

Clad in a white kurta and jeans, Dutt refused to comment on the controversy over the VIP security provided to him, but the state police justified it as part of a security drill for important personalties.

“I have no idea about it,” Dutt told reporters at the airport here after returning from the shrine and did not want to be drawn into the row. He did not respond to any other questions and only said “Jai mata di!” as he left for Mumbai.

Although no special arrangements were made for him during the “darshan”, the CRPF and police provided fool-proof security through the yatra and return to Jammu.

The actor was provided with an official car and police escort for the pilgrimage as the state government apprehended he could be an "easy target" for militants in the militancy prone region of the border state. The police, however, saw nothing wrong saying they cannot compromise on security of any VIP. — PTI