Congress chief ministers, who do not leave any opportunity to attack the Centre for discrimination, today went missing from the Inter-State Council meeting at Srinagar.Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, who has been criticising the Centre for not heeding to his request for relief during the drought this summer, was missing. Also absent was Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh who could not attend the meeting as he was tied up in ‘‘party and personal work.’’Apart from Rajasthan and MP, the CMs of two other election going states — Chhattisgarh and New Delhi — were also missing. Other CMs who missed the meet, include Assam, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Among the Congress CMs present at the meeting are Kerala CM A.K. Antony, HP CM Virbhadra Singh and Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh. Explaining his absence, Gehlot said he had a meeting in Udaipur which he could not reschedule.Incidentally, all the 15 chief ministers had attended the Congress CMs’ Council meeting held in May this year. Gehlot said: ‘‘That conference was held after consulting the dates with the CMs of the election going states. Though that is not the procedure in case of Inter-State Council meetings, I do wish we were taken into confidence before setting the dates.’’The Minister, however, said: ‘‘My absence in no way means disrespect to the PM.’’ He has deputed Deputy CM and Minister for Planning Banwarilal Bhairwa to attend the meeting. Singh, commenting on his absence, said: ‘‘I had some party and personal work.’’ Karnataka CM S.M. Krishna is finding his hands full this week with his Home Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge travelling abroad. Public Works Department Minister Dharam Singh has gone in his behalf. Assam CM Tarun Gogoi was all set to leave for Srinagar when he fell ill. ‘‘I cancelled my plan at the last minute. It is a significant meeting, because apart from the importance of Inter-State Council, holding it in Srinagar symbolises the normalcy that has returned to J-K.’’
