‘I am speaking against a person who has no contribution, not against the party’
‘Had I been wrong, there would have been a reaction’
Srinagar: Zadibal MLA Abid Ansari on Friday walked out of the campaign meeting of the People’s Democratic Party in protest against the presence of Government Spokesman Naeem Akhtar.
Abid, who is the brother of Imran Raza Ansari clearly said that he is not against the party neither has he any personal grudge against Akhtar. His fight is against the ‘role’ of Akhtar in the PDP. He said that the party is losing support and workers are getting ‘disgruntled’ due to his presence.
“I don’t have personal fight with him, but against his role in the party. Our party gets weakened and is losing public support because of him. We have to take mission of Mufti Sahab forward. He worked all his life to make PDP strong. But due to Naeem Akhtar, our workers are getting disgruntled with the party. We don’t want to annoy our workers because of him,” said Abid.
He further added that he won’t attend any meet in which Akhtar would be present.
“His presence in the party is damaging it. Naeem Sahab is not entertaining our workers. Till the issue is not resolved, I will stand by my protest. I won’t sit in the meeting which is attended by Naeem Sahab. It will be an insult to my workers.”
Abid has been vocal against Akhtar since his brother Imran Raza Ansari resigned from his ministerial berth after the recent reshuffle in which MLA Amirakadal Altaf Bukhari was re indicted.
Abid also maintained that he was not indulging in any kind of indiscipline or breaching party rules by standing up against a senior.
“I am not speaking against the party or president. But against a person who has no contribution towards the party. I want to safeguard the party. Our slogan is ‘Party Bachao, Naeem ko hatao,“ said Ansari.
He also alleged that there are many others in the party who speak against Naeem in private as they don’t have ‘guts’ to speak against him. Abid said that had he been wrong, people would have opposed him.
“Other leaders in the party don’t have guts and courage to speak against him but privately they always speak against him. Nobody in the party has as yet proved me wrong by speaking against Naeem Akhtar. Had I been wrong there would have been a reaction from the party, “ said Abid.
He went on to say that when education portfolio was taken from Akhtar, teachers celebrated.
With inputs from KNS
