Srinagar, Nov 4 — The disgruntled ruling National Conference (NC) leader, Mubarak Gul, on Wednesday deferred his press conference, saying he would take no questions from the media and would speak at an appropriate time in future.
Mubarak Gul had called a press conference on Wednesday after he declined the NC president, Dr Farooq Abdullah’s offer to designate him as the party general secretary. Gul had expressed disappointment over Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who reshuffled his cabinet last week, but did not include Mubarak Gul in the council of ministers.
After attending the swearing-in ceremony at the Lok Bhavan, the six-time MLA, Mubarak Gul, expressed his resentment, saying he had attended 20 swearing-in ceremonies but had been dropped each time.
He had called the press conference, saying that he would ‘spill the beans about NC’. His deferring the press conference has given the impression that Gul has been ‘pacified by the NC high command’ even though he told the media that he was postponing the briefing because the father of one of his NC colleagues had passed away earlier in the day.
Addressing reporters in Srinagar, Gul said he made the decision after consulting his colleagues and considering the emotions and sentiments of party workers who, according to him, had stood by him for decades. "Keeping in view the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the prevailing atmosphere, consultations with my colleagues and the sentiments of my workers, I have decided to defer today's press conference. I will not say anything on the matter right now," Gul said.
Despite shying away from media questions, Gul said, "I am a fighter, and I will continue to fight”.
The development comes amid mounting political uncertainty within the ruling National Conference, particularly following the recent Cabinet expansion and subsequent organisational developments that triggered questions over Gul's position in the party.
On October 27, NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah appointed Gul as the party's General Secretary after Ali Mohammad Sagar joined the Omar Abdullah-led Council of Ministers.
However, a subsequent party order directed Sagar to continue as General Secretary until further orders. The subsequent order was obviously issued after Mubarak Gul refused to accept the post of the party general secretary.