Srinagar: Cracking the whip, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Thursday asked his younger brother Mustafa Kamal to quit party posts following his controversial remarks that AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has no role in the affairs of the state government and on AFSPA.
"I have asked him to submit his resignation from the post of Chief spokesperson of the party as well as General Secretary," Abdullah said.
Kamal on Thursday night said he has stepped down from both his posts.
"I have made some innocuous and harmless remarks. I have now stepped down from both the posts. Perhaps I failed," Kamal told PTI.
Kamal said his comments about Rahul having no role in the affairs of the state government were a reaction to the State Congress president Saif-ud-din Soz's interview published in a local daily in which the Congress leader had claimed Rahul was "not happy" with the governance in the state.
"I had only said Rahul Gandhi is a great leader and he has no role in the affairs of governance in the state," Kamal said.
Kamal had also surprised every one by stating that disgruntled elements within the Army were behind grenade attacks in the city recently and that these were aimed at scuttling moves by the Omar Abdullah government for withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
His statements were seen as an attempt to bring strains in the relations between Congress and NC and the party had not only regretted his statements but also distanced itself from them.
"Kamal had been advised to exercise restraint and follow the party policy line on all issues, particularly those pertaining to the policies of the coalition government, relationship with the Congress party, AFSPA and the role of the army," Abdullah said.
He said NC was committed to coalition dharma and will not allow anyone to break a perfect alliance which was bringing peace to the state.
In a statement, Abdullah said he had to take this difficult decision because Kamal has been making certain statements which are not in tandem with the policies of the NC and are against the coalition dharma.
"The NC Congress coalition government has been functioning smoothly and any indiscipline in this regard within our party will not be tolerated," he said.
Kamal had alleged that "if the Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani was involved in stone-pelting incidents, New Delhi was subtly involved in hurling grenades so that AFSPA isn t revoked from the state."
An MLA from Hazratbal Constituency, Kamal had to suffer defeat after losing his traditional Tangmarg seat to Ghulam Hassan Mir of the Democratic Party Nationalist.
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