Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s brother Tassaduq Mufti was sworn in as a Jammu and Kashmir minister on Thursday by Governor NN Vohra at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan in which the CM and other senior ministers were present. Chadoora MLA Javaid Mustafa Mir also took oath as a minister.
Induction of the two ministers from the PDP quota is expected to be followed by a re-jig of portfolios. Tassaduq, a former cinematographer, is likely to be given the tourism portfolio, sources said.
However, in an embarrassing slip of tongue, while taking oath he swore in the name of “dog” instead of “God”. He was quick to rectify his error and completed the oath.
With Thursday’s swearing-in, both BJP and PDP have exhausted their quota in the coalition ministry which can have a maximum of 25 ministers.
Tassaduq, the youngest of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s four children, had stayed away from politics for most of his life. He returned to the state only after his father fell ill.
The Governor nominated him as a member of the state Legislative Council on 22 December in place of Vikramaditya Singh, who quit as an MLC and also from the PDP in October, to protest against the government’s alleged discrimination towards the Jammu region.
Tassaduq was heading the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell before he was nominated as MLC to pave his entry in the ministry. He was also the PDP candidate for the by-election for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat but the polling was postponed due to the security situation in South Kashmir.
Cong takes dig
J&K Congress president GA Mir took a jibe on the induction of Tassaduq Mufti in the ministry and asked the BJP why it was silent on the issue although the party had made ending dynastic rule its poll campaign in the state.
Mir said the BJP that has grabbed power through its “unprincipled alliance” with PDP is now “keeping its eyes shut” on violation of its core agenda for which people voted it in the Jammu region.