BackUpset Lone refuses to take charge of science & tech ministry
He did not assume charge of his ministries and instead took the first flight out of Jammu to Srinagar
Premium(PTI)
Jammu/Srinagar: Separatist-turned-politician Sajjad Lone is understood to have refused to take charge of the science and technology and animal husbandry portfolios, apparently miffed over not having got a key ministry.
Lone did not assume charge of his ministries and instead took the first flight out of Jammu on Wednesday for Srinagar.
At the airport, his ministry had sent in an official car and security which was declined by him and he rushed to his Rawalpora residence, on the outskirts of Srinagar city and remained inside his house with both his mobile phones switched off.
Lone was given charge of the above ministries in Tuesday evening’s portfolio distribution.
While the PDP has distanced itself from this development saying it was an issue between the BJP and the People’s Conference, BJP spokesman and vice-president of the state unit Ramesh Arora said, “we will be able to say something only after we speak to Lone."
The People’s Conference has two MLAs and Lone was accommodated in the state cabinet under the BJP quota.
In a related development, there were some heartburns within the PDP as well. Some of the party MLAs from Pulwama district had protested over their non-inclusion in the state cabinet despite having won two to three times. One of the senior minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, a four-time MLA of PDP, is also reported to be upset over the portfolio allocation and is understood to have conveyed his displeasure to the party high command.
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