Soz speaking out of turn: National Conference

Jammu (IANS)- Members of the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir are not too happy with Saifuddin Soz, leader of their ally Congress, for going public with government decisions on dealing with the turbulent situation in the Valley before the state cabinet formally announced them.

"It's highly regrettable that Soz speaks out of turn," a senior National Conference (NC)leader told IANS.

Party leaders now feel the state Congress chief is undermining the sanctity of the cabinet.

Soz, while addressing his party workers in the fortified guest house in Anantnag in south Kashmir, had made public the announcement of the state Congress committee's reccommendations to the central government like the constitution of a commission of inquiry to probe the deaths of civilians in firing by security forces, compensation for victims and reviewing the cases of political prisoners.

Soz made these disclosures on Saturday (July 24). On Tuesday, the state cabinet took all these decisions formally after discussions with Soz and other Congress leaders, another NC leader told IANS.

"Soz went public with the decisions in his eagerness to grab the credit for what the NC and Congress alliance government were working on," he added.

According to party sources, the NC is mulling talking to the Congress high command  about Soz's "habit of speaking out of turn".

A Congress leader close to Soz, however, said it was the state Congress chief's right to  speak on issues that concern the people. "Soz is committed to strengthening of the alliance," he said.

But the NC leaders were not convinced. "He (Soz) should not have disclosed entire list of the cabinet agenda to the public, after all his own party is in the alliance," the NC leader said.

"It seems that he is seeking individual glory," he remarked.