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Masoodi said the Agriculture Minister had visited saffron-growing areas last year, including Pampore, Lethpora, Chandhara and Khrew, and interacted with farmers.
The absence of the two ruling party MLAs from an official function has raised eyebrows, particularly as both were part of the dissident group that recently held three meetings and raised a banner of revolt against the party leadership. (Image: PTI File)
Is all well within the ruling National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir? It appears not. The party continues to grapple with dissidence and groupism, with two fresh incidents once again exposing internal bickering and growing differences within its ranks.
In the first incident, Pampore MLA and retired Justice Hasnain Masoodi boycotted the Kisan Mela held at the India International Kashmir Saffron Trade Centre (IIKSTC) in Dusoo on Sunday. He cited the continuing decline in saffron cultivation and what he described as the failure of the Rs 411-crore Prime Minister’s “Saffron Mission”.
NC MLA from Rajpora, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Mir, was also absent from the event. Organised by the Agriculture Department, the programme was attended by Agriculture Production, Finance, Mining and Cooperatives Minister Javaid Ahmad Dar, PDP MLAs Rafiq Ahmad Naik and Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, and BJP leader Arshid Bhat.
The absence of the two ruling party MLAs from an official function has raised eyebrows, particularly as both were part of the dissident group that recently held three meetings and raised a banner of revolt against the party leadership. During these meetings, Masoodi and Mir had also criticised the leadership’s style of functioning.
When contacted, Masoodi justified his decision to boycott the event, alleging that the Saffron Mission had failed to deliver on the ground.
He said around 129 to 130 borewells had been constructed under the mission to provide sprinkler irrigation to saffron growers, but none had become operational. He alleged that the infrastructure created under the scheme had failed to serve its intended purpose, adversely affecting saffron production.
Masoodi said the Agriculture Minister had visited saffron-growing areas last year, including Pampore, Lethpora, Chandhara and Khrew, and interacted with farmers. However, he claimed that the concerns raised during those interactions remained unresolved.
He added that he had also requested Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to personally review the implementation of the Saffron Mission and prepare a comprehensive revival plan. According to Masoodi, the Chief Minister had assured him that he would examine the matter, but no review or comprehensive plan had materialised in the two years since the government took office.
Meanwhile, Javaid Ahmad Dar dismissed suggestions of dissidence among the MLAs. He said Masoodi could not attend the event because he was unwell, while Mir was in Jammu. The minister also claimed that several initiatives had been taken to promote saffron cultivation.
However, Masoodi rejected the minister’s explanation, saying he was in good health but had deliberately stayed away from the event to register his protest.
Another NC MLA Targets Government Official
In the second incident highlighting the growing discontent within the ruling party, another dissident MLA, Abdul Majeed Larmi, confronted an official of the Roads and Buildings Department over a nameplate that allegedly mentioned the inauguration of a project instead of its foundation stone-laying ceremony.
Larmi reportedly objected to the incorrect wording and threatened to seek stern action against the official.
Larmi is also said to be unhappy over being left out of the recently expanded Omar Abdullah Cabinet.
With two senior MLAs openly questioning aspects of their own government’s functioning, the growing dissent within the National Conference is becoming increasingly difficult for the party leadership to ignore.
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Ask News18Pampore MLA Hasnain Masoodi boycotted the Kisan Mela event to protest the failure of the Rs 411-crore Prime Minister’s Saffron Mission, pointing out that installed borewells had failed to become operational and severely affected saffron production.
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Srinagar, India, India
November 10, 2026, 22:15 IST
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