Monitor News Bureau
Jammu, Nov 22: A day after dissolving the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Governor Satya Pal Malik Thursday justified his decision claiming that MLAs were receiving terrorist threats and even directions on government formation.
“I had been receiving reports from various quarters, including intelligence agencies, for the last week to ten days that in efforts to form the government, the atmosphere has been made vicious,” Malik said.
“Bade paimane par paisa diyajarahahai. Logon kodarayajarahahai, dhamkayajarahahai. Kuch logon ko‘terrorist’ threat diyajarahahai. Is tarah se sarkarbananekikoshishkijarahihai. Main is kokaisey allow karta (I had been receiving reports from various quarters, including intelligence, that the atmosphere has been so vitiated that money is being offered at large scale. People are being threatened and even issued militant threats. This is how efforts are being made to form government. How could I have allowed it?),” Malik asked.
This was in reference to accusations by the People Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC) that dissolution of the Assembly was murder of democracy in the state.
About PDP and NC leaders’ charge that the Governor’s House did not receive Mehbooba Mufti’s fax Wednesday staking claim to form government, Malik said that his office was closed on account of Eid. He added there was no one in his office to even serve him food and that the leaders could have sent it to him a day earlier.
“Even if they had delivered it to us, it would have made no material impact in view of reports received by me during the past ten days,” Malik said. Even PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti had been complaining of attempts to break her party, the Governor said, adding that others were talking about attempts to create an unholy alliance by parties which had nothing in common.
“Those crying foul have themselves been asking me for last five months to dissolve the Assembly. However, I had been keeping it alive as MLAs were having funds and public works were going on. The political process was halfway through, but it was on,” Malik said.
About NC and PDP, Malik said that they were the people who had been opposed to urban and rural local body elections. This (government formation attempts) would have adversely hit the security forces and police efforts to successfully conduct the ongoing panchayat elections, he said.
The Governor described the PDP-NC efforts to stitch an alliance for government formation as “unholy”. He said, “This was a power-hungry alliance and for self-preservation, to avoid split in their respective parties. There has been a lot of dissatisfaction among both the parties.”
PDP hints at not challenging Guv
Srinagar, Nov 22: A day after the Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the State legislative assembly in Jammu and Kashmir; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday hinted that the party will not move the Court in this regard, saying that there is no option after dissolution of assembly except preparing for new elections.
Talking to Kashmir News Service, PDP chief spokesman, Rafi Ahmad Mir said that the party has not taken any decision to knock the doors of Court over the dissolution of assembly. “We didn’t hold any formal meeting today. No decision in this regard has been taken as yet,” he said.
Saying that suggestion are coming fore to the party to move towards Court over the dissolution of state assembly, Mir said, “There is no decision in this regard yet. We may meet after some days to take any decision.”
Hinting that party will not move to court over the dissolution of assembly, Mir said that the there is no option left to the political parties except preparing for new elections after the assembly is dissolved in the state.
Reacting over dissolution of assembly, PDP chief spokesperson termed it as ‘unconstitutional’, saying that government has no right to question the working of PDP, NC and Congress government.
He said that instead of making such statements, the Governor should have tested the strength of the party claiming stake, terming the decision as ‘politically motivated’. (KNS)
