Jammu, Sept 15: Congress, a major partner in the Mufti Sayeed government today left it to the Chief Minister and PDP to decide on the fate of Abdul Aziz Zargar, who quit the ministry after his name figured in the Akshardham temple attack case. Deputy Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma told reporters that Zargar had been a nationalist in the past and it was for the Central government and its agencies to state whether he was innocent in the Akshardham case.
"Zargar is a member of (Mufti Sayeed's) PDP and it is for the Chief Minister to decide on his fate," he said.
Asserting that the Centre or the state government would not save any anti-national element, he said as per his knowledge, Zargar had been a nationalist and had no past record of anti-national activity.
"The central agencies are now probing . It is for them to say whether he is innocent or not," Sharma said.
On allegations by another coalition ally Panthers Party leader, Bhim Singh that more ministers in Mufti government had links with terrorists, the Deputy Chief Minister said:" If he has knowledge, he should tell the alliance for true action to be taken."
He also denied that PDP was "pro-militant", and said that a large number of terrorists had been killed under the coalition government which was giving all encouragement to police and other security forces. Bureau Report