New Delhi/Srinagar: As mainstream parties on Thursday attacked the alacrity with which Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the State Assembly, minutes after PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had staked claim, the BJP nominee defended his action saying the alliance between the three rival parties was opportunistic and not in the interest of the state.The Governor also took the plea that his Wednesday night decision was taken as per the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.
“In the case of Jammu and Kashmir, I don’t need to take permission from Parliament. I just need to inform the President about the decision,” he said.Making out a case that he did not act on impulse, Malik alleged that for the last 15-20 days he was getting reports on horse-trading.
“I had decided to dissolve the Assembly as the legislators were indulging in horse-trading… MLAs were being threatened… If I would have given an opportunity to anyone, more horse-trading would have been seen. And the entire political and judicial system of the state would have been ruined,” he said. He had not taken the step earlier because there was no imminent reason to dissolve the House. “This was because no one came with a horrible proposition to form a government. Democracy was working, MLAs were getting funds. But when I saw danger inherent in such adventures, then I dissolved it,” he explained.
Asked about BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav’s charge that the PDP and the National Conference got instructions from Pakistan to form a government, Malik said: “I did not say such a thing. I am in a responsible post. I won’t say anything without evidence. “This grand alliance was opportunistic.
There was no agreement. One party (the Congress) even said that there was no formal interaction among them for formation of government.”Malik also denied that he acted at the behest of the BJP. “They (PDP, NC and Congress) know very well what the BJP headquarters wanted. The BJP had a candidate here (Sajad Lone). If I was acting at the behest of the BJP, then I would have called their nominee. But I did what I thought was best according to the Constitution.”ONE WAY FAX
In a lighter vein, Omar Abdullah remarked that this was for the first time that a fax machine did not work in a Governor’s office and became responsible for the death of democracy. “This fax machine is a one-way fax, it has only outgoing and no incoming. This is a unique fax machine and an investigation should be undertaken.”Omar was referring to the fact that whereas PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti was unable to access the Governor all evening on fax, within minutes of her making the claim on Twitter, the latter had issued orders dissolving the Assembly by fax!
The Governor responded by saying that he didn’t receive Mehbooba’s calls and fax staking claim to power. “Yesterday was Eid. There was no one in the Raj Bhawan to even give me food. She could have come to me the day before,” he said.
But Malik added: “Even if I had got the fax, my decision would have been the same.” He said he had decided not to allow any government on the basis of “defections or loose arrangements”.
Responding to his explanation of the non-functional fax machine, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah shot back: “If there was no staff, then who typed his letter dissolving the assembly? We also had Eid, there were people at our home.” He added: “I hope the staff at Raj Bhawan pull up their socks, so the governor is not inconvenienced this way.”