Farooq to reshuffle Cabinet, under pressure to sack Ansari

Farooq to reshuffle Cabinet, under pressure to sack Ansari
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 12: In a bid to tide over the recent housing society corruption scandal, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah will revamp his entire Cabinet next week even as pressure is building on him to sack Urban and Housing Minister Maulvi Ifthikar Hussain Ansari, who is allegedly involved in a housing scam, from the Cabinet.

Farooq Abdullah has been able to secure resignations from all his ministers except Maulvi Ansari. The Jammu and Kashmir police has charged the Urban and Housing Minister with being involved in a multi-crore housing colony scam, some sources close to the Chief Minister said here on Sunday.

The police have also suggested questioning Ansari's relatives, a top official of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and some officials of The Jammu and Kashmir Bank.

Though Maulvi Ansari has claimed that police investigations have been a ``one-sided affair'', several National Conference leaders are of the opinion that he should come out ``clean'' before any responsibility wasgiven to him in the state cabinet.

This is the first scam that has hit the Farooq Abdullah ministry during his three stints as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, the sources ahve said Though Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is maintaining a ``studied'' silence on the issue, party workers have opined that keeping Maulvi Ifthikar Hussain Ansari in the Cabinet may cause a wave of dissension among the rank and file of the party, the sources have said.