Kashmir minister resigns on graft allegations

Jammu, January 15, 2008:

The education minister of Indian administered Kashmir Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed resigned Tuesday from the state cabinet and as the state chief of ruling Congress party following allegations of graft by a fellow legislator.

Sayeed submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in the winter capital Jammu.

Shoab Lone, an independent legislator alleged in the Legislative Assembly last week that a minister took INR 40,000 (USD 1000) as graft from him to complete a pending official work of his relative.

On Monday Police arrested Peerzada’s driver tracing threatening a call made to Lone’s mother to his cell phone.

Lone alleged that Peerzada’s wife made the threatening call to his mother after he talked about the graft taken by the minister.

Lone submitted the name of the “corrupt” minister in writing to the chief minister in the state legislature Monday without disclosing it in public.

However, talking to media outside the legislative assembly, Lone hinted at the education minister.

After Sayeed’s name surfaced as the corrupt minister, sources said he was summoned by chief minister Azad to explain his position about the allegations.

Sayeed offered his resignation but Azad asked him to announce his decision publicly first, sources said.

Sayeed announced his decision to resign Monday “on moral grounds” and termed allegations against him a conspiracy.

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