Jammu and Kashmir LegislativeCouncil Chairman Amrit Malhotra has dissolved the HouseCommittee which was formed to probe allegations of land grabagainst senior cabinet minister Taj Mohiuddin.
"Since the members belonging to the National Conferencehave withdrawn from the House Committee that I had constitutedto investigate the allegations levelled against TajMohi-ud-Din, by MLC Syed Muhammad Rafiq Shah... in the caseof illegal possession of forest land in Sedow, Shopian, thesaid Committee has become practically infructuous," Malhotrasaid in an order.
"The Committee does not seem to be in a position to serveany purpose without the participation of the largest politicalparty in the House i.e. National Conference. Against thisbackground, I am convinced that the continuance of theCommittee would not serve any purpose. I, therefore, dissolvethe committee with immediate effect," the chairman of thecouncil said.
Reacting sharply to the development, National PanthersParty (NPP) MLC Syed Muhammad Rafiq Shah today claimed thatthe Chairman was under intense pressure to dissolve the HouseCommittee.
"Dissolution of the house committee is a murder of theConstitution. The chairman (of Jammu and Kashmir LegislativeCouncil) was under intense pressure and received threats,"Panthers Party MLC Syed Rafiq Shah told reporters here.
The House Committee was formed during the recent autumnsession of the Council after Shah produced some documentsclaiming that Mohiuddin had grabbed forest land in Sedow areaof Shopian district in connivance with some officials of therevenue department.
The House Committee included Shah, two members fromNational Conference, one from Congress -- MLC Bashir AhmadMagray-- and one from opposition PDP.
National Conference, surprisingly, last week pulledout its members Khalid Najib Suharwardy and Bashir AhmedVeeri - from the five-member Committee. .