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Sex scam slur: Governor rejects Omar's resignation

July 30, 2009 18:18 IST

Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra has given state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah a clean chit in the controversy pertaining to a sex scandal and has rejected the latter's resignation, asking him to continue to discharge his duties.

Omar had tendered his resignation after a senior People's Democratic Patrty leader linked him to the sex scam.

In a communique issued from Raj Bhavan, the Governor said he had carried out an inquiry into the matter through the Union Home Ministry. He added that the inquiry found no evidence of Omar Abdullah's involvement in the sex scam.

Earlier in the day, Omar accused PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of 'shutting his eyes' to the sex scandal when it first surfaced in 2006 as his own people were involved.

"Sayeed preferred that this scandal should go on and never bothered how callously daughters of Kashmir were being exploited by his own people. He should have resigned at that very time if he would have been real son of soil but he preferred to shut his eyes," an angry Omar said while addressing supporters at his Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar.

The state assembly witnessed high drama after PDP deputy leader Muzaffar Hussain Beigh alleged that Omar's name figured in the sex scandal case. PDP has demanded a judicial inquiry in the case, saying that it was not satisfied with the CBI probe.

Omar said Sayeed was 'scared' that his government would fall as his own men were also 'involved' in the scam, which came to light during 2006 after the arrest of a woman.

"The sex scandal came to the notice of Sayeed when he was the chief minister. His own people and his close associates were actually involved in the scandal because of which he felt that his government will fall," he alleged.

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar