Sakina Itoo, Sajad Lone criticise Mehbooba Mufti for chairing AIIMS Awantipora review meeting

Srinagar, June 6 (IANS) J&K Health Minister Sakina Itoo and sitting MLA Sajad Lone criticised former chief minister and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti for chairing a review meeting of the developmental works of AIIMS in Awantipora town of Anantnag district.

J&K Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo took on Mufti for her decision to chair the review meeting of AIIMS Awantipora.

Sakina Itoo said on X that some people seemed to be suffering from political amnesia, behaving as if they were still in power despite losing office in 2018 and being repeatedly rejected by the people.

She added that the elected government today was led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and questioned in what capacity former rulers were conducting reviews of the AIIMS Awantipora project.

She asked which power centre in Delhi was directing such actions.

Itoo remarked that it was ironic that those responsible for the AIIMS project’s slow pace were now trying to claim ownership of its progress. She stressed that the project was moving towards completion due to the focused efforts, monitoring, and commitment of the present government under Omar Abdullah.

Sajad Lone also criticised Mehbooba Mufti on X, questioning her authority to chair a review meeting of a central institution without being an MLA. He argued that if she could do so, then RSS or BJP non-MLA functionaries could also claim similar rights, given their larger representation.

He asked what stopped leaders like Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, or Nirmal Singh from chairing such meetings, and whether such political entitlement existed elsewhere in India. Lone said Mehbooba Mufti may have opened the door for unelected and politically undesirable individuals to chair similar meetings in Kashmir.

He urged the Chief Minister to clarify these issues, stating that the event amounted to constitutional impropriety. Lone emphasised that even the Union health minister could not redesign constitutional roles, and that Mehbooba Mufti’s action remained an unconstitutional trespass.

Earlier, Lone had said that irony had died a thousand deaths in Kashmiri politics during Mufti’s chairmanship of the review meeting. He described it as a constitutional crisis and a direct hit at the competencies of the elected government.

He questioned in what capacity she chaired a meeting of an institution under the BJP-led central government, asking whether there was any notification, government order, or special authorisation. He warned that such actions could lead to a third power centre in J&K, further disempowering institutions.

The controversy began when Mehbooba Mufti chaired the review meeting of AIIMS in Awantipora on Thursday. She told reporters that setting up the institution was her father, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s, dream, and she was happy to see it realised.

–IANS

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