SMC: Mayor, Dy Mayor wash dirty linen in public

Srinagar: The tussle between Mayor and Deputy Mayor has virtually made Srinagar Municipal Corporation ‘functionless’.
Both Mayor Junaid Azim Matoo and Deputy Mayor Sheikh Imran washed their dirty linen in Public. Both talked to media and leveled accusations at each other while INC Corporter Shaheena Bhat backed by Sheikh Imran once again leveled grave accusations on Junaid Azim Matoo calling him ‘corrupt’ and ‘man with no principles’.
Shaheena Bhat and Sheikh Imran jointly interacted with media and targeted Mattu. Sheikh Imran alleged that Mattu is the biggest hindrance as he is unable to perform his duties in presence of Mayor. Shaheena repeated what she said on Monday stating that Mattu not only assaulted her but also amassed wealth illegally by transferring Ward Officers.
“If Police don’t take action against Mattu, we will not only hit roads but will withdraw support,” Sheikh Imran and Shaheena Bhat said.
Sheikh Imran said that he is only supporting Shaheena as she is the victim.
Shaheena said that Mattu and his Assistant assaulted her in front of other corporters.
In response to the accusation leveled by Shaheena Bhat and Sheikh Imran, Junaid Azim Mattu said that Sheikh Imran is corrupt and want to resort corrupt practices. “He looted JK Bank and now he wants to loot SMC which I won’t allow,” Mattu told Reporters in a presser.
He reiterated that Shaheena Bhat who has been leveling grave accusation against him is a motherly figure for him.
Mattu said that the said Corporator who has accused me of sexual harassment is the age of my mother and has children as old as me. Here is the sequence of facts:
“I didn’t attend office on Monday and was chairing a review meeting of the Works Wing of the SMC at my residence at Church Lane, Srinagar. This is a fact that can be verified by nearly 20 gazetted officers who were present in the meeting as well as the security staff at my residence and those deputed for access control at my office. At the end of the meeting, I received a call from my Private Secretary (an employee of the SMC) that the said Corporator has barged into my office – physically assaulted the Private Secretary, Mr. Hussain and broke the computers and fixtures in the office demanding that a shop be allotted in favor of her husband in Srinagar and a job be arranged for a said person who she claims to be her son. She had persistently put forth these undue and illegal demands to me – for which I have proof. These are demands that I refused while upholding the integrity of my office and the SMC.”
“I immediately called the concerned SHO and registered a complaint – following which a Police team from PS Shaheed Gunj visited the office and recorded the statements of my staff and especially the written complaint of the assaulted officer along with statements of the witnesses – also government employees.”
“Following the registration of this complaint and the on-spot visit of the Police team, the said Corporator approached the Police with a fictitious and baseless complaint against me. There is a voice recording of a telephonic conversation in my possession proving that this fictitious complaint was done under the influence of a senior elected individual – in whose hotel premises the said Corporator was seen immediately after this incident. I will forward that recording to the relevant authorities.”
“The said Corporator – who is my mother’s age should have spoken of motherly values and ethics and upheld the trust reposed in her by the people. She should have upheld the dignity of womanhood and of truth by accepting her fault and apologizing to the officers for the incident of assault. I am saddened by the fact that she has chosen to level these baseless allegations against me under a well crafted conspiracy hatched by a senior elected representative – who is clearly exposed for his role in this fiasco by the voice recording in my possession. I have spoken to my lawyers and will be filing a defamation case against the said Corporator and urge the Police to uncover the truth and uphold the law. I stand by values of transparency, honesty and diligence in performing my duties and will not succumb to any pressure tactics to facilitate corruption. That is unacceptable and I will fight these baseless allegations and have no doubt that the truth shall prevail.”
“I am talking to my lawyers and will file a defamation case against Shaheena Bhat,” he said.