Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Muzafar Hussain Baig on Saturday resigned from the party reportedly over seat-sharing agreement with other political parties in People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) for District Development Council (DDC) polls.
Baig, who was one of the founding members of PDP, has submitted his resignation from the position of patron and basic membership of the party to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.Sources said that Baig, who was a Deputy Chief Minister in PDP-Congress coalition government, was not consulted before seat-sharing agreement with PAGD parties.Baig is likely to address a press conference on Sunday to announce future course of action.
Baig had openly criticized Ms Mehbooba, accusing her of being responsible for downgrading of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories by making “provocative” and “threatening” statements over Article 370.Mehbooba, a former chief minister, had warned the Centre that if special rights and privileges to the people of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution were tinkered with, then there would be no one left in the state to hold the tricolour.Senior PDP leaders have criticized Baig, a Supreme Court lawyer, for remaining silent over the detention of Mehbooba and other leaders of the party.Baig was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2020 by the Government of India when Mehbooba was still in jail. He had called meeting of senior leaders when PDP president was in jail which could not be held.
