KL Desk
Srinagar
In much needed relief for Minister for PHE & Irrigation, Taj Mohi ud din, just days after the National Conference withdrew its legislators from the House Committee investigating charges of forest land grab against him (Taj), the Congress party today pulled out the third member from the committee leaving it in minority.
Congress MLC, Bashir Ahmad Magray on Sunday withdrew his name from membership of the committee, with just two out of the five nominated members – PDP’s Murtaza Khan (Chairman) and Panther’s Party’s Syed Rafiq Shah – holding forte.
“You have nominated me as member of the committee to see some allegations of land grab against Hon’ble Minister Taj Sahab. Its meeting is scheduled to be held on 15 Nov 2012. I am unable to attend this meeting due to some reasons. So I withdraw my name from this committee”, reads a letter written by Congress MLC Bashir Ahmad Magray to the Chairman Legislative Assembly on Sunday,” letter quoted by local news agency KNS.
Reacting to the development, chairman of the committee and PDP leader Murtaza Khan has said: “I have no knowledge about pulling out of the Congress member. I can’t comment on it”.
Magray himself denied having pulled out of the committee to probe charges against Taj. “No, I have not resigned.”
Pertinently, NC, on Friday had decided to pull out its two legislators – from the five member House Committee that was constituted by Legislative Council Chairman, Amrit Malhotra, after Panthers Party legislator, Syed Rafiq Shah accused Taj of being in illegal possession of forest land in Shopian district of south Kashmir.
Earlier, Minister for Medical Education R S Chib had written to the LC Chairman asking him to quash the committee after raising doubts over its legality and also the membership of Rafiq Shah. However, Malhotra had snubbed Chib in a letter and defended his decision to constitute the committee.
