Shah Faesal, the Kashmiri IAS officer who resigned on Wednesday, said that he is not joining any political party “as of now”.
Addressing reporters in Srinagar on Friday in his maiden press conference, the 2009 IAS topper shot down speculations that he was joining National Conference (NC).
According to reports, Faesal said that he would be very happy to fight the upcoming assembly and parliamentary polls and will listen to the youngsters and meet the stakeholders.
Commenting on his resignation, which triggered a discourse in J-K, Faesal said that it was a “small act of defiance” against the central government for the lack of “credible political initiative”.
He said that he will meet with stakeholders and the youngsters before joining any political party.
Faesal had resigned from the elite central service in “protest” against “unabated killings” in Kashmir.
His resignation triggered mixed response in Jammu-Kashmir.
Faesal has received bricks and bouquets for the reasons he has cited in his resignation that he put up on the social media.
Mehbooba tweeted, “Hurling choicest abuses on social media @shahfaesal is uncalled for. He has inspired a generation to chase their dreams and I think it is time to respect his aspirations. My thoughts & support for him. He deserves his right to self determination. #istandwithshahfaesal.”
Welcoming Faesal’s decision to resign, separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, “Hope his outrage over killings and his sentiments guide his choice of politics and gets reflected in representing his people’s collective deep driving desire of right to self-determination and their relentless struggle and sacrifice in achieving it.”
Faesal, who had announced to make public his future course of action on Friday, has postponed the move. He said on social media that his future plans would depend on people of Kashmir. He also postponed his interaction with the Kashmiri youth because of “adverse weather” forecast.
MLA Engineer Rashid urged Faesal “not to let the people down and prove his words”.
He said that Faesal’s resignation confirms that New Delhi is treating J-K as a “colony” and the Kashmiri Muslim officers were facing “discrimination and alienation” within the system.
Rashid urged Faesal to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an independent without joining any party.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also welcomed Faesal’s action.
Reacting to the reasons that Faesal has given for his resignation Union minister Jitendera Singh lashed out at him for targeting the tolerant Indian state and not the terrorists.
Omar Abdullah reacted to Jitendera Singh’s statement by tweeting, “Dr Sahib, Shah Faesal’s father was killed by militants but I don’t expect you to bother to educate yourself before you speak. No one more than Faesal knows the pain & suffering militancy & violence have brought upon Kashmir & its people”.