Srinagar: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expelled senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Nazir Ahmad Laway Friday for “anti-party activities”. The decision came a day after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of the newly-appointed Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Murmu.
The PDP said Laway stood in contravention of the party’s stance by attending Murmu’s swearing-in ceremony. The MP was among the official guests who had attended the ceremony that also marked J&K’s transition from a state to two union territories.
Laway, however, said he hadn’t received any information on his suspension and “wondered” who could take such a decision since PDP president and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was “in jail”.
“I just heard the news that I have been expelled from the party. But such news about me had come on TV earlier also. There was no truth to it at that time. I don’t know where this is coming from,” Laway told ThePrint.
Mufti has been kept under detention at a government guest house in Srinagar’s Cheshmashahi area since the central government decided to scrap J&K’s special status on 5 August. Along with Mufti, several other PDP leaders have also been detained at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Center in Srinagar.
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Laway ‘undermined’ PDP leadership
The PDP leader claimed he wanted to meet the new L-G to talk about the release of political detainees.
Even though Laway said he had attended the swearing-in ceremony in an official capacity, the statement issued by the union territory’s administration did not mention his name as a guest. It had the names of several other high-profile invitees, including Jammu MP Jugal Kishor.
“I was invited as a Rajya Sabha MP. I had tea there,” Laway added.
The party, in the meanwhile, said a decision to expel Laway was taken after he was found to have “undermined” its leadership by attending Murmu’s swearing-in ceremony.
A PDP spokesperson, who did not wish to be named, said Laway’s participation was against the party’s stance on J&K’s current political situation and revocation of Article 370.
“This is not the first time that the MP, who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the PDP, has gone against the party’s directives. Earlier, he had refused to vote against the Triple Talaq Bill that was tabled in the Rajya Sabha this year. So the PDP leadership has decided to expel Laway from the party’s basic membership, with immediate effect,” the spokesperson added.
This is the second time in a week that a senior PDP leader has gone against the party’s official stance. Senior PDP leader Muzaffar Beg had met the delegation of European Parliamentarians who visited Srinagar earlier this week. Party sources, however, said Beg had met the delegation in “personal capacity”.
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It is deshdrohi party. Permanat ban on PDP is necessary.
PDP party is an anti national party it should be band forever