Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday sacked Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu from the cabinet for saying that Kashmir is ‘not a political issue’ – a statement that has set off a political firestorm across the state.
The statement from the state finance minister had drawn sharp criticism not only from the opposition but also from leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), prompting the CM to sack him.
Sources said that after a meeting between the CM, senior PDP leaders and legislators, a letter was sent to J&K Governor N N Vohra, informing him about the removal of Drabu on grounds of violation of party norms.
While addressing an event themed ‘Kashmir: The Way Forward’ on March 9, Drabu had said that Kashmir is “not a political issue”, rather, it is a society with “social issues”. “Don’t see J&K as a conflict state and a political issue. It is a society which has social issues right now. We are trying to find our own space and we are going through a process which many other countries are also going through,” he said.
“It (J&K) is not a political issue as far as I can see. They have been barking up the wrong tree for the last 50 or 70 years by talking about the politics of it, that the political situation has never improved. We seriously need to look at in terms of how it is a society that is in search for itself,” he added.
The minister’s statement came at a time when the PDP and its coalition partner, BJP, are at loggerheads over a range of issues, with CM Mufti openly pressing for talks with Pakistan. After the comments were reported on Sunday, two other PDP ministers who had also addressed the event, distanced themselves from Drabu’s statements.
The PDP has asked the finance minister to “retract his statement immediately”. PDP vice president Sartaj Madni said, “The party (PDP) recognises Jammu and Kashmir as a political issue, and ever since its emergence, the party has relentlessly been pursuing its resolution through reconciliation and dialogue, both at internal and external levels.” Drabu is considered to be close to the BJP leadership at the Centre.
“It is unfortunate that the problem is being seen by some forces in the subcontinent, as a mere management assignment to contain peoples’ aspirations and the resolution commitment is being aimlessly undermined,” Madni added.
PDP’s chief spokesman Rafi Ahmad Mir has warned of action against Drabu if the minister did not take back the statement. “We have learned about it (Drabu’s remarks) from the press. He has been asked to retract the statement,” Mir told The Indian Express. “This is the first line of action. If he doesn’t (retract), action will follow,” he added.