KL Desk
Srinagar
While blaming the state Congress President Saifuddin Soz for being responsible for his exclusion for the reshuffled state cabinet, Senior Congress leader from the Chenab Valley and former R&B Minister G M Saroori has called for sacking of Soz from the post of party president.
“It is Soz who created hurdles in my inclusion into the cabinet. He has threatened to resign from the party if I was included into the cabinet. He did it all as he wants to weaken the party in the state”, said a fuming Saroori while talking to KNS over telephone.
While accusing Soz for weakening the party in the state, the Azad loyalist in the Congress party called for removal of Soz from the party president’s post. “I appeal the Congress High Command especially Sonia jee to remove him (Soz) from the post and appoint a new president to save the party in the state”, he said adding “I have become victim of a conspiracy and have been deceived by the party”.
Calling Soz as a new comer to the party, Saroori accused him of being non-serious towards strengthening of the party.
“Kal Ke log jo aye hain woh hamein siyasat na sikhayen. He has come to the party just yesterday and doesn’t understand the party”, Saroori said.
He said despite assurances from the state Congress President and Saifuddin Soz that he would be reinstated into the cabinet on getting a clean chit in the exam-gate allegations, he was “deceived by the party after a conspiracy was hatched against him”. “I had gone for Hajj and they didn’t even wait for me to return after performing Hajj when they removed me from the ministry. But then Both Soz and CM praised me for my integrity and performance. I was given clean chit by the CBI”, he said adding that he was at loss to understand what made them keep my name out of the newly framed cabinet. “I was deeply hurt by the decision”, he added.
However, the Congress leader pledged to continue as a soldier of the party by working at the grass roots to strengthen it. “I will not resign from the party. I owe allegiance to party high command and will continue to fight as their soldier in the state. He said the party workers in his constituency and other areas were angry but he was trying to cool down their tempers. “People are angry because of the deception. They are angry and I have asked them to keep cool and work in the constituency for the party”, he added.
He said despite being a grass roots leader, he has been ignored by the party which was “unfortunate”. “I got highest number of votes and won in 2002, 2008 elections and I think they don’t like grass root people”.
“People in general and panchs and sarpanchs are angry but I would never resign. We have brought up the party with our blood under leadership of Sonia jee, Rajul Jee and Azad Saheb”.
Meanwhile, State Congress President, Prof Saifuddin Soz denied having any hand in exclusion of Saroori from the newly reshuffled cabinet. “It may be the case with every party but whatever negatives could be pointed out in the cabinet reshuffle will be credited to me and the positives will be ignored. Whenever the reshuffle was discussed in Delhi, his (Saroori’s) name did not even come up for discussions. So neither did I get the opportunity to support him nor could I oppose him”, Soz said while talking to KNS.
