Mehbooba Mufti asked to leave Delhi residence

Govt gives one week notice

Srinagar:In yet another embarrassment for the “ousted” Peoples Democratic Party, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been asked to evict her official residence in New Delhi.

Sources said a formal evacuation notice was served to Mehbooba Mufti this morning with a notice of one week to take away her personal belongings from the villa.

5 Akbar Road in the plush capital happens to be the official residence of the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said in the wake of notice served to her, the PDP President has called a meeting of her close aides to decide future course of action.

Insiders said Mehbooba was never expecting the central government to send her such a notice.

The development has allegedly shocked Mehbooba barely two days after the Bharatiya Janta Party President Amit Shah during his visit to Jammu launched a scathing attack on the former Chief Minister and her PDP saying the party was responsible for corruption and underdevelopment in the state.

Et learnt from reliable sources that the central government has decided to seek strict compliance of the orders seeking evacuation of the government accomodation.

A top official in New Delhi said the one week notice means that if Mehbooba doesn’t evacuate her belongings could be “thrown out.” “But we are hopeful that she won’t create any drama but will leave the place at an earliest,” the official sources said.

Interestingly on June 19, when the right wing party pulled out of the alliance in the state, the PDP had remained silent on BJP. But now a war of words has erupted between the two parties.

On June 25, a day after Amit Shah launched attack on her at a rally in Jammu, Mehbooba Mufti hit back at former ally BJP, terming the saffron party’s allegations and reasons for withdrawing support to the coalition government led by her as “false”. “Allegations of discrimination against Jammu &Ladakh have no basis in reality,” Mufti said in a series of tweets.

The BJP has repeatedly cited discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh regions and “deteriorating situation” in the state as reasons for withdrawing support to Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government.

Pertinently Mehbooba would frequently fly to the national capital and stay at the official villa. But sources close to her said she would leave the official accommodation before the deadline given in the notice ends.