The Opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) said on Wednesday that it has expelled one of its senior leaders, A.K. Sawhney, who was also the party’s spokesperson for indulging in an “indecent” act at a public rally in Jammu recently.
Mr Sawhney had, as has been alleged, brought a donkey at the PDP rally in the winter capital and put a photograph of chief minister Omar Abdullah on its face. “After completion of the inquiry ordered by our party chief Mehbooba Mufti, the PDP has expelled suspended party leader A.K. Sawhney from its primary membership,” a statement said.
It added that Mr Sawhney had created an “ugly scene” at the rally “by bringing a donkey and putting posters of chief minister Omar Abdullah on it. The posters had also vulgar language against the chief minister written on them.”
After divesting Mr Sawhney from the spokesman’s post, the PDP had constituted inquiry committee to probe the incident which had evoked sharp criticism from various quarters.
However, Mr Sawhney, who is a former Jammu bar council president, claimed that he had actually resigned from the basic membership of the PDP. In a statement issued in the winter capital, he said that he tried to do whatever best he could for re-establishing the PDP in the Jammu region especially the post-Amarnath land row, but regretted that the top party leadership was “bent upon to hamper the interest of the people of Jammu region, which I cannot be a party to”.