SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir PWD Minister G M Saroori was sacked today after he refused to heed a Congress directive to resign in the wake of a row over alleged use of an impersonator by his daughter during a medical entrance test.
An official spokesman said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recommended to Governor N N Vohra the dismissal of Saroori from his Council of Ministers.
Vohra, who is in cloudburst-hit Leh, was sent the communication and he has approved it, the spokesman said. The Chief Minister had earlier in the day informed the cabinet about his decision to sack Saroori.
Saroori, a minister belonging to Congress, had been asked to put in his papers after the controversy erupted but he chose to ignore the directive and left for Jeddah to perform 'umrah' sans any clearance from the External Affairs Ministry.
The minister, who has been maintaining that he was a victim of politics in the state, chose to ignore the directive of the party high command and did not submit his resignation before leaving for umrah.
He flew out yesterday morning and his office in Jammu circulated a statement that he had not been asked by the party high command to resign on the issue of impersonation allegedly involving his daughter.
Saroori had not taken the mandatory "political clearance" from the MEA as is necessary for any minister to travel abroad, official sources said.
It was alleged that two youths, including a girl, were appearing in the medical examination for the kin of two politicians -- Saroori and former minister Ram Pal of the National Conference, Congress' coalition partner in Jammu and Kashmir.
Seven alleged impersonators, including a girl, were apprehended in this connection on August 21.
The state government had already decided to hand over the probe in the case to the CBI.
Vehemently denying any wrongdoing by his daughter, Saroori has dubbed it a "misinformation campaign" by vested interests to tarnish his image.