Mehbooba’s brother quits Grievance Cell

Tribune News Service

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Jammu, December 15

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s brother Tassaduq Hussain Mufti today resigned from the post of the coordinator, J&K Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell.

Tassaduq submitted his resignation to Chief Secretary BB Vyas.

The decision seems to have been taken in the run-up to the growing speculations of his induction as the Tourism and Cultural Minister in the ruling PDP-BJP government. He joined the PDP last year on the first death anniversary of his father and former Chief Minister the state Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.

Sources said Tassaduq would be nominated to the J&K Legislative Council against a seat that fell vacant after Vikramaditya Singh, the grandson of the last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, resigned from the PDP and the Upper House of the state.

Vikramaditya resigned to lodge his protest saying it wasn’t possible for him to continue with the party that “disregarded the demands and aspirations of the Jammu region”. His resignation from the Council was accepted by the Chairman of the House recently.

“The induction of Tassaduq appears to be a move to consolidate her (Mehbooba) position. She was re-elected as president of the PDP for the sixth consecutive term on December 2. Besides, it will give legal and constitutional cover to Tassaduq’s powers and authority as critics had been questioning the authority and constitutionality of his powers in issuing instructions to officials,” said the sources. They said Tassaduq may be inducted as the Tourism and Culture Minister in place of his uncle Farooq Ahmad Andrabi. Tassaduq was the PDP candidate for the Anantnag parliamentary bypoll after his sister vacated the Lok Sabha seat on her election to the Legislative Assembly. The Anantnag parliamentary bypoll were cancelled following violence in the Kashmir valley.