Out of step with Govt, Omar says he’ll step down

If yesterday it was Ram Vilas Paswan who walked into the limelight by walking out of the NDA, today it was the turn of Omar Adbullah, minist...

If yesterday it was Ram Vilas Paswan who walked into the limelight by walking out of the NDA, today it was the turn of Omar Adbullah, minister of state for external affairs, to do the same, but with a difference.

Omar Abdullah in Parliament on Tuesday. Photo by Anil Sharma

Since the National Conference parliamentary party last night formally decided to stick to Farooq Abdullah’s decision to abstain from voting on the censure motion in the Lok Sabha, Omar Abdullah and senior party MP Ali Mohammad Niak met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at 11 am at his office in the Parliament House before the debate. Niak told The Indian Express that Omar conveyed to the PM his party’s decision and offered to resign, saying it would be improper of him to continue in the government any longer. However, no letter of resignation was submitted.

A visibly upset Vajpayee told Omar, ‘‘mein baad mein dekh loonga’’(I will deal with this later). Omar has reportedly told his personel staff to pack up.

Farooq, according to NC sources, had met Vajpayee before leaving for London on Saturday to convey his party’s decision to abstain. He had also offered his son’s resignation. An unhappy Vajpayee had asked him to reconsider the decision.

Story continues below this ad

It will be difficult for the government not to accept the resignation of a minister who does not vote on a censure motion. ‘‘He can go to the hospital and remain absent but he cannot remain present in the House and abstain. The government cannot set a bad precedent,’’ said a minister close to the Prime Minister. As a minister Omar has been an asset for Vajpayee, doing a good job of handling Indian interests in the Gulf and Muslim countries.

The National Conference may still continue to give support to the NDA from outside as is being done by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

There is a section within the NC which feels that the Congress is their main enemy in Kashmir.

Therefore, the party should not sever its ties with the NDA. In any case, Omar is taking over as president of the NC in a couple of weeks. T

Story continues below this ad

he assembly elections are due in the state in mid-October.

Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigns after 19 killed in ‘Gen Z’ protests

World9 hr ago

Nepal's Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has resigned after 19 people died during youth-led protests demanding reforms and accountability. The protests spread across major cities and police opened fire on demonstrators. Lekhak tendered his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during a Cabinet meeting, following calls from Nepali Congress leaders earlier in the day.

View all shorts

Live Blog