G M SarooriAt the drop of the hat, the erstwhile R&B minister G M Saroori would find himself outside Rahul Gandhi’s gate. But he could not to save himself from Omar Abdullah’s bouncer despite being the most trusted lieutenant of Ghulam Nabi Azad.
A contractor by profession, Saroori has remained close to Congress for a long time. In 1996 he lost elections from Inderwal but managed a win in 2002 and retained the seat in 2008. He was minister twice.
There were complaints against him every time but being the most mobile minister he would manage his survival. Contractors in Doda-Kishtwar districts once sent a detailed representation to the Congress high command against him.
Having full support of Azad, he would sometimes fend the attacks against him within the coalition. But finally when it was found that his daughter Huma Tabassum had outsourced writing her medical entrance question paper to a Bihari girl, he failed to get any support.
Outsourcing writing entrance exams is an old business in Jammu. Using touts, they hire the best boys and girls from outside the state who enter examination halls by proxy and write the papers in lieu of a package. This year authorities could lay their hands on seven “surrogates” who were from UP, MP, Bihar and Rajasthan but appearing for influential candidates from Jammu.
This included the minister’s daughter. State government decided to send the case to CBI and meanwhile it managed Congress telling its minister to step down. He did not resign but governor sacked him. The case is still undecided.
With his sacking Omar managed to get multiple benefits. Firstly, he could snap a direct Congress line to friend Rahul. Secondly, he conveyed to restive lot of many Chenab valley districts that the syndicate that Saroori had built is demolished. Thirdly, he asserted that he is the boss despite the coalition.
And most importantly, he managed to save his Kishtwar seat that was increasingly getting influenced by a pro-active Saroori. Congress has already taken over Bhaderwah, Doda, Banihal and Inderwal. The only concession that the government gave to him was his daughter was not arrested.
With Saroori’s exit, R&B ministry’s focus on Inderwal is over. His dream project of getting a tunnel connecting Vail in Kashmir and Singhpora in Kishtwar is now unlikely to take off.
