Jammu, Feb 25: The differences between the ruling coalition partners Congress and National Conference (NC) turned murkier on Friday when scores of NC workers virtually took control of a senior Congress minister’s office at Civil Secretariat and shouted anti-Congress slogans in full public view.
 The trouble erupted when a verbal clash duel out between Congress workers sitting outside the Minister for PHE and Irrigation, Taj-Mohi-ud-Din’s office and NC MLC, Javed Ahmad Rana after the latter had a heated exchange with the Minister in his office chamber.
 Sources told Greater Kashmir that the NC MLC went to the office chamber of PHE Minister, this morning, and was seen coming out in a huff.
 While his supporters claimed that the minister misbehaved with the MLC who had gone to raise issues concerning his constituency, a Congress leader – who was sitting in the office chamber of the minister – claimed that the `trouble’ erupted after the MLC allegedly reprimanded the Chief Engineer, Irrigation, B R Dogra for not responding to his phone calls. He also threatened to bring a privilege motion against the Chief Engineer during the legislature session beginning from February 28.
 “The Minister objected the tone and tenor of the MLC, saying he (MLC) could not humiliate any official in his presence. The Minister said that the Chief Engineer was answerable to him and not to MLC. It led to a verbal duel between the two with the MLC threatening to bring a privilege motion in the Legislative Council against the Minister,” sources maintained.
 The angry minister went on saying, “Do whatever you want to do? But you cannot humiliate my official in my presence,” sources added.
 The Congress workers including district Baramulla president, Mir Mushtaq, who were sitting outside also got infuriated and had a heated exchange with the agitated MLC.
 Sources said the MLC, joined by his workers, raised anti-Minister and anti-Congress slogans in the Civil Secretariat creating a scene there.
 “It was virtually intolerable for us that an MLC was humiliating one of our senior ministers in his office chamber. We opposed his tone and tenor. There are hundreds of ways to plead any issue but how could he humiliate a minister and a senior official,” Congress leader Mir Mushtaq told Greater Kashmir.
 Sources maintained that the MLC left the place after a verbal duel but he came back with scores of his supporters and virtually took over the minister’s office, shouting slogans against him.
 “Minister for PHE and Minister for Tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora were discussing some issues when the MLC along with scores of his supporters came back to minister’s chamber and raised slogans. Both the minister left the chamber amid sloganeering,” sources informed.
 When contacted, Taj-Mohi-ud-Din downplayed the incident, saying “it was a trivial issue and nothing serious happened”.
 The MLC, Javed Ahmed Rana also sought to downplay the incident and said he had taken up the issue of poor development in Rajouri and Poonch districts. “Nothing was serious,” he responded.
 It may be recalled that Independent MLA from Langate, Engineer Abdul Rashid had recently a verbal spat with the Congress minister, Sham Lal Sharma.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 25 Feb 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:00:00 IST