E-Paper
Srinagar DDC chairperson, member engage in war of words
However, Ajaz Hussain said it was a one-month-old incident and claimed that he didn’t exchange anything in the group; he alleged that Malik doesn’t know the dignity of chair
Srinagar district development council (DDC) chairperson Aftab Malik has blamed a member owing allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajaz Hussain, for using derogatory words against him and J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha in an instant messaging platform group.
Malik also accused the DDC member from Balhama of using inappropriate language against him and calling him ‘drunkard and donkey’.
However, Hussain said it was a one-month-old incident and claimed that he didn’t exchange anything in the group.
Malik said after using abusive language, the BJP member quit the official WhatsApp group of the Srinagar DDC. He is a senior leader of the Apni Party and a prominent businessman of Srinagar city.
Malik and Hussain hail from the same assembly segment -- Sonwar -- in Srinagar district. While Malik got elected from Lasjan, Hussain won from Balhama DDC seat in 2020 and was among three DDC members owing allegiance to the BJP who won from Kashmir. Interestingly, the BJP had supported the candidature of Malik as the chairperson of the Srinagar development council.
“Hussain had some issues with sarpanch, who belongs to the Apni Party. And now, he has used very offensive language against me in the official group which isn’t acceptable,” said Malik.
The DDC chairperson said he has brought the issue to the notice of the party leadership and LG Manoj Sinha. “I want action against him,” he added.
“Hussain in his post in the DDC group even raised questions over the functioning of Manoj Sinha and boasted of his association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
Malik also blamed the DDC member for using abusive language against Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari and former minister Ashraf Mir, who represented Sonwar constituency after defeating former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah in 2014 the elections.
In 2019, Ashraf, along with several other former legislators, had joined Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party.
Hussain, meanwhile, said the group chats could be fake.
He alleged that Malik doesn’t know the dignity of chair. “He isn’t doing any work for the public. Such things are bound to happen. When a chairperson is absent for the past three years, people suffer,” he added.
