Kashmir CM's resignation rejected

Srinagar, July 30, 2009:

The governor of Indian administered Kashmir Thursday rejected the resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah submitted to him on Tuesday.

Governor Narandra Nath Vohra has told the chief minister that there was no reason for him to resign.

Abdullah had submitted his resignation to the governor on Monday after an opposition member alleged in the state legislative assembly that the chief minister was one of the suspects in an infamous sexual exploitation scandal that rocked the region in 2006.

The statement said that Governor Narandra Nath Vohra told the chief minister that, “based on the information supplied to him by the Union (Indian) Home Ministry” there was no basis for Abdullah “seeking to resign”.

Former deputy chief minister of Indian administered Kashmir and People’s Democratic Party senior leader, Muzaffar Hussain Baig alleged on Monday in the state assembly that Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had named Abdullah as one of the 190 suspects in the sexual exploitation scandal.

An emotional Abdullah denied the charge and shot a letter to governor asking him to investigate the allegation and accept his resignation if “there was any basis in the allegation.

Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Monday that Omar was not an accused in the CBI list.

Kashmir sexual exploitation scandal surfaced in March 2006 after residents in a Srinagar locality went to police station with a pornographic CD containing some nude pictures and video grabs of a neighborhood girl.

Police investigations in the matter opened a lid of a sex ring involving bureaucrats, politicians, police and para-military officers.

The revelations infuriated people and brought Kashmir on boil. Public backlash forced the government to transfer the case to Central Bureau of Investigations for thorough probe.

All the accused are out on bail and the case is still sub-judice.

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