In a bizarre turn of events, Jammu and Kashmir’s school education minister Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed who had on Friday submitted his resignation directly to Congress president Sonia Gandhi instead of chief minister Omar Abdullah to follow the convention claimed on Saturday that she has not accepted it.
A probe ordered by the chief minister through the state police’s crime branch (CB) had earlier corroborated the charge that Peerzada’s foster son Imam Sauban had used unfair means to pass senior secondary examination in 2009 in connivance with the officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE). With that the pressure on the minister to quit had only increased.
The rejection of Peerzada’s resignation by the Congress president is being seen here by many as a snub to chief minister Omar Abdullah who had said on Thursday, “Peerzada heads the department about which allegations have been levelled and that fact is inescapable.”
Meanwhile, the chief minister has divested Peerzada of the portfolio of school education. “The said portfolio will remain with the chief minister till further orders,” an official statement issued in Jammu around midnight on Friday — hours after Peerzada confirmed he had sent his resignation to Mrs Gandhi “as she is my leader and not chief minister Omar Abdullah” — said.
The statement was, however, silent if Peerzada will continue to be there in the Council of Ministers as he holds the charge of public enterprises department as well.