Srinagar (NVI): Crisis has deepened in People’s Democratic Party (PDP) after expelled leaders today refused to accept the party’s decision, claiming that there is no disciplinary committee to expel any leader. They also said that only party president Mehbooba Mufti has the authority to take such decision.
The development comes a day after PDP expelled nine leaders from their party for “violating the party’s interest” by meeting envoys of 15 countries and Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu.
Reacting to the development, former chief spokesperson of PDP, Rafi Ahmad Mir said that nobody can expel them, when there is no disciplinary committee in place. “Who are these unknown faces who expelled us?” he asked.
Only Mehbooba Mufti has authority to expel any leader if anyone is found involved in “anti-party” activities, he said.
“We rake issues with envoys which bothers common masses. I fail to understand who gave Suhail Bukhari authority to issue statements when party president Mehbooba Mufti is in jail and party patron Muzaffar Beigh is in Jammu,” Mir said.
Seconding Mir, another senior leader from PDP, Abdul Majeed Paddar said that expulsion was “not acceptable” to them.
“If any leader indulge in anti-party activities, the disciplinary committee takes a decision, then issues a notice and then the concerned leader has to respond. Suhail Bukhari has no authority to issue such statement,” he said.
Paddar claimed they did not indulge in any “anti-party” activity.
“We met envoys on individual level. We were not part of any delegation. We met ambassadors to convey them what Kashmiris are going through over last several months. Somebody has to speak out as we can’t remain mute spectators,” he added.
Paddar and Mir, with other former PDP legislators- Noor Mohammad Sheikh, Javaid Beigh and Abdul Rahim Rather met envoys. Before this, Dilawar Mir of PDP along with party members ZaffarIqbal, Choudhary Qamar Hussain and Raja Manzoor Ahmad (PDP) had accompanied Ghulam Hassan Mir and Altaf Bukhari and submitted a memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu.
Earlier, Rajya Sabha member Nazir Ahmad Laway too refused to accept his expulsion from the party.
For the last two years, several senior PDP leaders like Imran Raza Ansari, Altaf Bukhari, Abid Ansari were either expelled or they left the party for several reasons.
