Apparently crestfallen, Abdullah submitted his resignation to governor. The resignation, which turned out to be a “conditional letter” asked Governor N N Vohra to accept his resignation if he felt there was some truth in those allegations. What the CBI, police, CID and courts could not do in three years, Vohra did it in two days and proclaimed Abdullah innocent. He continued in office.
Congress and the CBI too backed the ‘young hope of Kashmir’. Meanwhile, the great flip flopper Baig too toned down his allegation.
CRICKET MATCH CONTROVERSY
Even as army claims the situation to be normal in Kashmir, it’s own team refused to play a Ranji trophy cricket match in Srinagar, citing security reasons.
The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) team was scheduled to play J&K at Srinagar from November 3 to November 6. Following its pullout, the Services team was disqualified for next edition of the Ranji Trophy.
After the incident, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju terming the decision as “unfortunate” said that it was taken at “lower level”.
However, the drama had another twist when Defence Minister A K Antony in a reply told Rajya Sabha that the decision was taken at the highest level. “The decision (not to play in Srinagar) was taken by the SSCB, President and Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral D K Deewan on recommendations of the 15 Corps and Udhampur-based Northern Command headquarters,” said Antony.
The minister said the Services reviewed and revised their decision in the interest of the game and career of the players.
The Army was perhaps scared of facing possible hostile crowd which could have been attracted by the match of “Army Vs Kashmir.” The bitter memories of Santosh Cup football tournament of 2008 were the grim reminders of people’s passions.
HURRIYAT COUNCIL SUSPENSION
Unable to cope with the occasional outbursts, from its own constituents , the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq in an unusual move suspended its general and executive council. The differences over “quiet dialogue” were embarrassingly coming out in public. A gag was ordered on public statements. Number of its top leaders, including former provincial president of Hurriyat Nayeem Khan, rejected backdoor diplomacy and asked leaders to “retire”.
According to reports the Hurriyat faction was virtually heading for a split as serious differences cropped up over proposed “quiet dialogue” with Centre.
So the decision to suspend the organisational set up, including office-bearers, was taken at a meeting of the executive council.
A section of the general council, which had openly questioned the “dictatorial attitude” of the executive council, wanted a role in the decision-making meetings, which was not liked at the higher echelons of separatist conglomerate.
In December Mohammed Yousuf Naqash, president of Islamic Political Party (IPP) and a general council member of the Hurriyat Conference, was suspended after he wrote an article in a newspaper rejecting the “quiet diplomacy” between the separatists and the Centre.
ASSEMBLY EXORCISED
The year proved that the democratically elected government believes in ghosts and fears them too. After exorcising the ghosts from Joint Interrogation Centre (Papa 2) turned guest house the administration conducted elaborate rituals at the new assembly complex which elected representatives believe was haunted.
So some trusted legislators conducted the secret rituals. Twenty-five senior Muslim clerics of the Kashmir valley were invited for the ritual held in the newly constructed legislative complex. The clerics recited ‘durood-e-najaat’ – a Muslim prayer believed to help ward off the djinns and black magic.
The foundation of the assembly complex was laid by the then chief minister late Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah on September 27, 1981. A year later he died and its construction stopped. Its construction was resumed in 1997 but again stopped in 1998. Azad got it restarted again in September 2007. The complex was built at a cost of Rs.37 crore in record nine months.
The new complex held its first session on July 7, 2008. The then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was forced to resign on the same day over the bitter Amarnath land row. The assembly was dissolved soon after, and elections were held in November-December last year. When the house met for
