PDP sacks Yasir Reshi as district president

Srinagar, July 12

The Peoples Democratic Party said today that it has removed legislator Yasir Reshi as the party's district president for Bandipora, cracking the whip on leaders who had publicly criticised PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

In a statement, the PDP said Baramulla district president Irshad Ahmad Kar will look after the party affairs of Bandipora district for the time being.

Reshi, a member of the legislative council, was one of the PDP legislators who had revolted against the PDP leadership after the coalition government with the BJP collapsed last month.

He had accused Mufti of nepotism and called for an alternative to the "two-family" system of power in Jammu and Kashmir. Reshi was referring to the Mufti and Abdullah families, who have mostly governed the state.

MLAs Imran Ansari, Abid Ansari and Abbas Wani are the other three legislators who have voiced displeasure against Mufti in public. Ansari, who represents Srinagar's Zadibal constituency, was the first one to question Mufti's leadership.

Reshi's sacking has come after 21 PDP legislators met Mufti over two days - on Saturday and Sunday - and pledged their support to her. PTI