After summers of unrest, Omar in autumn of accusations
Thursday October 06, 2011 03:01:45 PM,
Sheikh Qayoom, IANS
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The mystery deepens, pulling the
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister into the quicksand of
controversy. The death of a National Conference worker in custody
has become murkier pitting Omar Abdullah against a witness in an
unsavoury "my word against his" row.
As the opposition clamours for his resignation over the Sep 30
death of Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf, Abdullah once again finds himself
in the proverbial eye of a growing storm.
"I have full faith that the truth will come out. I see no reason
why I should resign either as home minister or chief minister,"
Abdullah told a TV channel, battling allegations of wrongdoing
against him and his father, union minister Farooq Abdullah.
A key witness, Abdul Salam Rishi, has said Yousuf and another NC
worker Muhammad Yusuf Bhat were summoned to the chief minister's
residence over allegations of bribes being given and taken for
prime positions in the political establishment.
Rishi told television channels that Yousuf had accepted taking
Rs.85 lakh from Bhat. Rishi alleged that Yousuf had taken the
money as a political bribe paid finally to NC patron Farooq
Abdullah for getting Bhat a minister's berth in the NC-Congress
coalition.
He said he himself had paid Rs.36 lakh to Yousuf for getting him a
legislator's post but was returned the money when the promise was
not fulfilled.
He also said Yousuf had been taken to a room at the chief
minister's residence where he remained for nearly half an hour
after which he vomited, staggered and was "visibly unwell".
The accusations are extremely serious as they suggest both
political bribery and also fatal assault.
But Rishi's statement cannot be taken without a pinch of salt.
After all, the statement comes from someone who admitted having
paid a huge bribe himself.
While the veracity of the allegations will be put to test only
after the expected judicial probe into the murky affair gets under
way, Abdullah, who has faced unrest the last two summers over
people's protests, is placed in an unenviable position once again.
Nobody has accused Abdullah of either having accepted the bribe or
assaulting the slain NC worker.
Yes, Rishi alleged Abdullah was visibly angered at the whole
affair after learning that money had been paid and accepted as
political gratification, but the personal conduct of the chief
minister in this whole affair is questioned only to the extent
that he should not have called the three people to his residence.
Normally, Abdullah should have called in the police the moment he
was approached by two NC workers alleging a political payoff.
Abdullah has been trying to explain that by saying he wanted to
learn the details since all three belonged to his party.
Lawyers will now be engaged both by those trying to protect the
chief minister and those gunning for him.
The chief minister has publicly stated he is ready to appear
before the judicial probe if he is asked to clarify his position.
Nothing should be done to upstage the free and fair working of the
judicial probe.
For once, political expediency must wait. Abdullah, like all of
us, has the legal and democratic right to clarify his position. He
should not be condemned unheard; let us not be prejudiced against
him simply because he called three workers of his party home who
had levelled serious charges against one another.
At the same time, the family of the slain person has the legal and
constitutional right to be told why Yousuf died in police custody.
If he died because of a murderous assault, his perpetrators must
be brought to justice.
(Sheikh Qayoom can be
contacted at sheikh.abdul@ians.in)
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