J&K min makes objectionable gesture

Agriculture minister Ghulam Hassan Mir was responding to allegations of fleecing of tourists

PTI | February 21, 2012



Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture minister Ghulam Hassan Mir today made an objectionable gesture towards journalists after he was asked to respond to allegations of fleecing of tourists at the resorts falling in his assembly constituency.

"What you have got to do with this (fleecing of tourists)? Let me see how your story affects me!," Mir said as he waved his middle finger at the scribes.

The journalists had asked the minister, who represents Gulmarg assembly constituency, to respond to allegations that tourists were being charged exorbitant prices for petty services at Tangmarg and Gulmarg resorts.

A group of tourists, returning from Gulmarg approched the reporters, who were covering a function where the minister was scheduled to arrive, with their complaints.

They alleged that they were charged Rs 500 as daily rent for a jacket, Rs 200 for snow-shoes and Rs 100 for sun-glasses.

A state government official, on condition of anonymity, said the police was willing to act against the "erring" shopkeepers but were prevented by the minister.

Comments

 

Other News

Income Tax dept holds Ghatkopar Outreach on new IT Act

The Income Tax Department organised an outreach programme in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, to raise awareness about the key features of the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective April 1, 2026. The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to promote taxpayer awareness, simplify compliance, and strengthen a transparent, eff

Making AI work where governance is closest to people

India’s next governance leap may not solely come from digitisation. It will come from making public systems more intelligent, more adaptive, and more responsive to the dynamics at the grassroots. That opportunity is especially significant at the panchayat level, where governance is not an abstract po

Borrowing troubles: How small loans are quietly trapping youth

A silent crisis is playing out in the pocket of young India, not in stock markets or government treasuries, but in smartphones of college students and first-jobbers who clicked on the Apply Now button without reading the small print.  A decade ago, to take a loan, you had to do some paperwor

A 19th-century pilgrim’s progress

The Travels of a Sadhu in the Himalayas By Jaladhar Sen (Translated by Somdatta Mandal) Speaking Tiger Books, 259 pages, ₹499.00  

India faces critical shortage of skin donors amid rising burn cases

India reports nearly 70 lakh burn injury cases every year, resulting in approximately 1.4 lakh deaths annually. Experts estimate that up to 50% of these lives could be saved with adequate access to skin donations.   A significant concern is that around 70% of burn victims fall wi

Not just politics, let`s discuss policies too

Why public policy matters Most days, India`s loudest debates stop at the ballot box. We can name every major leader and recall every campaign slogan. Still, far fewer of us can explain why a widow`s pension is delayed or how a government school`s budget is actually approved. That


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter