The demolition comes amid the Chief Minister's ongoing initiative to crack down on erring ministers in his Cabinet. While some see Abdullah's moves as helping the government blunt the charge of ``misgovernance'' and ``extravagance'', his detractors see a conspiracy behind the crackdown that started with the recent sales tax raid on Ansari.

Ajatshatru has dared the Government to treat everyone in the Cabinet even-handedly and has even threatened to go public with the ``real'' story behind the demolition. After a brief honeymoon between two ``first families'' of the state, they have not been on the best of terms for the past one year. Ajatshatru's father, Karan Singh, had resigned from the chairmanship of thecommittee which was to enumerate political autonomy for the state. Earlier, he had found a berth in the Rajya Sabha with the support of Farooq Abdullah.

In retaliation for this ``betrayal'', Abdullah first divested Ajatshatru of the important Tourism portfolio and then reinstated some officers whom he had removed.

The demolition was jointly undertaken by the Srinagar Municipality, the Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority and the Srinagar Development Authority. It had the go-ahead of Chief Minister Abdullah and was conducted under directions from Minister for Housing and Urban Development Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, himself under investigation for alleged sales tax evasion to the tune of Rs 14.6 crore. The Water Ways Authority said construction was on for the past two months and legal notices had been issued. ``As they were continuing construction despite the notices, we had to take the extreme step,'' said K A Shahdad, executive engineer. While Ajatshatru is not in town, an aide said the Minister wouldcome out with the ``factual position of the structure'' soon. He said they had only renovated an old double-storeyed building damaged in a fire and that there was no new construction. Humbling political opponents with demolitions is not new in J&K. In fact, that the demolition ordered by Housing Minister Ansari, is said to be a ``diversionary tactic'' to take the heat off him in the controversy over tax evasion.

Earlier, Ansari reportedly used it against Taj Mohiuddin of the Congress, by getting a wall of his house demolished. He even issued demolition notices to the Congress HQ immediately after joining Govt.