Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Nov 11: Bashir Ahmad Magray — the lone Congress Member of Legislative Council (MLC) in the House Committee constituted by Legislative Council Chairman, Amrit Malhotra to probe into allegations against Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Taj Mohi-ud-Din has alleged that the Minister had been ‘threatening’ him of dire consequences for his ‘active’ participation in the Committee functioning.
Putting a lid over rumours regarding his ‘resignation’ from the House Committee, Magray, who is also JKPCCC Vice President, told EXCELISOR, “I haven’t resigned from the Committee which is investigating the issue regarding alleged encroachment of forest land at Sedow, Shopian by the Minister”. He added, “I am dedicated solider of the Congress party and owe my loyalty to JKPCC president, Saif-ud-Din Soz and shall not succumb to any pressure on the issue”.
The intensity of the political controversy could be well gauged from the fact that fake resignation letters by the name of Vice-President JKPCC, Bashir Ahmad Magray were faxed to offices of several newspapers and news agencies today at nearly 8.00 pm to give credibility to resignation rumours. More astonishing is the fact that the fake resignation letters were faxed by some VIP person, who specially visited a local hotel in his Scorpio car bearing red light beacon.
Giving vent to his feeling on the issue, Mr Magray said, “for the past one and half month i was being subjected to great trauma and was being mentally harassed by several persons particularly the PHE Minister. I have been getting threatening call from him and blackmailing tactics are being adopted to pressurize me”.
“Some people have been telling me that they are going to use my old letter pads and write my resignation on them. But, I will challenge all such documents”, he further stated adding, “rumours are being spread about my resignation by some politicians to sabotage the working of the House Committee. They have even been successful in pressurizing some National Conference (NC) members to resign”.
“I am a simple person, who travels in sleepers to every part of State and have nothing to loose. I still have two years as MLC and no pressure can end this term abruptly”, he claimed to have told the Minister.
“Even today the Minister met me after the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting and took me around the corner. He told me not to press for probe as nothing was likely to come out of it”, he said, adding, “I told Taj Sahab not to get worried over the issue if the facts were as was being claimed by him. Why should you worry about the probe if you have not done any encroachment of land and it shall prove beneficial to you as you can come unscathed out of it”?
The MLC said, “I was being told several times by ‘agents’ of the Minister that he can also manage to get the probe stayed from the Court. I told them that if that is the case, they should try to get this done at the earliest and they shouldn’t wait for my decision”.
As far as the subject of issuance of directions to Government officials regarding the probe is concerned, Mr Magray said, “if probe has to be done certain rules have to be followed and decisions have to be taken. How will the Committee get the desired information till it issues directions to the official for submitting required documents”.
Interestingly, apprehension expressed by the Committee member and Vice-President, JKPCC Bashir Ahmad Magray came true when fake resignation letters bearing his name were sent to the offices of several newspapers and news agencies.
The letters prepared on the letter-pad of Bashir Magray were faxed from the Hotel Arya Bhat located at Gurdwara Sunder Singh Road at around 8.00 pm. Confirming that the letters were faxed from the hotel, its owner Kaka Shah told EXCELSIOR, “some VIP came in his Scorpio bearing red beacon light along with his security guard and faxed the same letter to 5-6 places. While the fax went to some numbers, it didn’t go to few other places. But, the VIP was keenly repeating the process and spent nearly half-an-hour at the place”.
When asked if Bashir Ahmad Magray was staying at the hotel, the owner said, “no Mr. Magray isn’t staying with us. We also chose not to question the VIP about the fax or about his identity as it isn’t appropriate as per our ethics”.
After receiving the letter at its office, this correspondent contacted JKPCC Vice President again over phone. “I haven’t sent any resignation letter to the Chairman and these are all rumours. I have sent only one letter stating that I will not be able to make it to the House Committee meeting slated to take place on November 15 due to some personal engagements”, he stated categorically.
Meanwhile, reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that Chairman of Legislative Council, Amrit Malhotra would review the working of the House Committee tomorrow by holding a meeting at around 12.00 pm in his office.
“The Chairman would consult all the members of the House Committee, who have submitted their resignations on the subject and then decide over the matter”, sources stated.
The House Committee investigating the land encroachments issue, which had been constituted by the LC Chairman on October 11 comprised People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLC – Murtaza Ahmad Khan as Chairman and four other members – Syed Rafiq Shah (Panther’s Party), Bashir Ahmad Magray (Congress) and Dr Bashir Ahmad Shah (Veeri), Khalid Najib Suhrawardy (both from National Conference).
Two members of the House Committee – Bashir Ahmad Shah and Khalid Najib Suhrawardy, who have submitted their resignation belonged to the ruling party (NC) and still have chosen to oppose the decision of constitution of Committee against Congress Minister — Taj Mohi-ud-Din. However, Bashir Ahmad Magray – the lone member belonging to the Congress party in the panel has chosen not to resign.
Besides, Leader of the Upper House and Medical Education Minister R S Chib has written a formal letter addressed to the Legislative Council Chairman, Amrit Malhotra to quash the House panel probing allegations against the Minister. Also, eight members of the Legislative Council belonging to the Upper House have also submitted a written request to the Chairman to review his decision.
Responding to these letters, the Chairman wrote an official letter to the leader of House, R S Chib claiming that the Committee comprising Chairman and five members has been constituted in consonance with well-established Parliamentary practices and precedents.
Follow our WhatsApp channel