Srinagar, Jan 28: Signifying a deep divide in the State Congress, senior party leader Abdul Gani Vakil has written a letter to his party colleague and senior Cabinet minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din about alleged corruption and mismanagement in the departments under the latter’s charge. A copy of the letter has been also sent to the Congress High Command, including party president Sonia Gandhi.
In his 6-page letter, Vakil has demanded that Taj should be sacked from his ministerial position in the party interest.
However Taj termed the allegations as “baseless” saying Vakil was a “habitual blackmailer and he needs to be taught a lesson.”
“The only and best way to teach him a lesson is that I will file defamation suit against Vakil. Let him prove it in the court. He is a self styled leader who has never succeeded in election despites contesting polls more than 20 times. He is a frustrated person and has become a nuisance to the party. My lawyer has served a notice to Vakil to prove the allegations within a week.”
In his letter, Vakil has written: “You have chosen to maintain silence on the mismanagement in your departments which speaks of your lack of will to fight corrupt practices.”
“Various scams surfacing from time to time in various divisions of Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Irrigation departments have already done enough harm to the Congress party. There are corruption cases pending against you in State Accountability Commission (SAC) and a land grabbing case is going on against you and your family in the State High Court,” the letter mentions.
In his letter, Vakil, who confirmed to Greater Kashmir that he has also sent the letter to the High Command, adds that not only as a Congressman but as a citizen he has all the right to raise the issues of corruption and bungling by any ministry or bureaucrat in JK.
Vakil has claimed that he himself is witness to “gross violation” of norms and guidelines in installing of hand pumps in different places especially in District Baramulla where according to him a village Nadihal has been provided with more than 50 hand pumps and dozens of other adjoining villages have been deprived of the facility.
“Since you have been maintaining silence it has weakened and defeated the resolve of Congress party to fight corruption. As a responsible Congress worker I am constrained to appeal and request Congress High Command to sack you as a minister in the interest of the party and probity in public life,” reads the letter.
Taj said he has spoken to Union Minister and former JK Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on the issue. Vakil is considered to be a Azad loyalist.
“Azad Sahab has promised me that he will look into the issue. I am also going to take up the issue with Soz Sahab,” Taj said. President Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz, who is the president of the State Congress, refused to comment on the issue.
Taj alleged that Vakil has always restored to “blackmailing to give vent to his frustration. He has gone out of control now. He is habitual of leveling baseless allegations. I will teach him a lesson this time.”

Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST