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JK ministers slug it out in open

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

A demolition campaign has started a war of words between two Jammu and Kashmir ministers.

It started with Urban Development Minister Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari targeting a building belonging to Sports Minister Ajatashatru Singh, the elder son of former Kashmir maharaja Dr Karan Singh. The Lake and Waterways Development Authority says they have demolished the 'illegally' constructed-building near Dal lake.

Last week, 60 employees of the LWDA and Srinagar municipality stormed the single-story building and brought it to ground. Official sources said Singh's security guards tried to stop the move. The demolition was carried out without informing Singh, who was away in Bombay. On his return he lashed out at Ansari, who he alleged was 'in the thick of a sales tax scandal and personally involved in evasion of taxes.'

"The demolition was undertaken to divert attention from the recent raids by the sales tax department on Ansari's premises," a source close to Singh said.

Singh, meanwhile, has filed a first information report against Ansari for the 'illegal demolition' of his house.

Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah defended Moulvi, justifying the demolition. "Singh had not sought permission and he is at fault either for reconstruction or repair of the structure," he said, "Construction or repair of structures in the vicinity of the Dal lake is banned."

Dr Abdullah, in fact, said Moulvi 'did not act on time when the construction was in full swing'.

Referring to the verbal duel between the two ministers, Dr Abdullah said, 'They should not have gone to the media as these things bring a bad name to the government'.

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