Srinagar mayor refutes molestation allegations

Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu on Tuesday refuted allegation of molestation leveled against him by a female corporator saying she was “like my mother”.  “The female corporator is like my

mother. I would never do such a thing. Her children are of my age and I respect all females. She is leveling these allegations because I refused to indulge in corruption. She wanted me to

provide job to her relatives, which I refused out rightly” Mattu told a press conference here. On Tuesday the corporator Shaheen Bhat alleged that the Mayor has been continuously asking her

to “come along with him for enjoyment”. Today, during a press conference at Press Club here, she repeated the allegations.  But Mattu said the corporator was “enacting a drama on behest of

deputy mayor, Sheikh Imran”. “I will file criminal defamation case against her (the corporator. I am facing allegations only because i am not allowing any corruption in the SMC,” he said.  

The mayor said that SMC employees have suspended all work and went on indefinite strike following the assault on a senior SMC officer by the female corporator on Tuesday.  “I along with 45

corporators have written to the Governor (Satya Pal Malik) and appealed him to look into the issue. We will not resume our work unless she is disqualified,” he said.  Taking a dig at his

deputy, Sheikh Imran, the mayor said “he wants me to indulge in corruption. “I won’t let deputy mayor to sell corporation…I was working yesterday when allegation were leveled against me.” On

the allegations of illegal appointments and transfers, Mattu said if anyone can prove that he has indulged in a single illegal appointment he would resign.  “I am ready to resign if it is

proven that I indulged in illegal appointment or transfer. I made transfer only when a senior officer was retiring, that too through legal means,” Mattu said.