J&K Governor's decision to dissolve Assembly biggest joke: Ex-BJP MLA

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Gagan Bhagat on Monday said Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik's decision to dissolve the State Assembly is the 'biggest joke' in democracy.

Bhagat, who was an MLA from RS Pura constituency, said that Governor Malik kept the State Assembly suspended for five months but when a party staked claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, he dissolved the assembly.

Bhagat, who has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against Jammu and Kashmir Governor's decision to dissolve the assembly, told ANI, "It is the biggest joke in a democracy that you keep assembly suspended for five months and when a party stakes claim to form the government you dissolve it. This policy is incorrect and undemocratic."

The Governor had dissolved the Assembly late on November 21 night, hours after arch-rivals-the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP)-joined hands with the Congress Party and staked their claim to form the government in the state. The three-party alliance claimed to have the numbers to form the government.

However, hours later, the Governor dissolved the Assembly. PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that she tried to fax the letter to the Governor, claiming to form the government, but could not do so. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed People's Conference chief Sajjad Lone had also staked claim to form the government but he too failed to fax his letter to the Governor's office.

Defending his decision to dissolve the state Assembly, the Governor said that he did not want the formation of a government by the 'unholy alliance.' "These are the forces that are against democracy at the grass root level. Once they felt that the situation was slipping out of their hands, they formed an unholy alliance to form the government," Malik had told ANI.

A Raj Bhawan spokesperson had also said that Malik acted in an objective and impartial manner while making his decision to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Jammu and Kashmir have been under the President's Rule since June when the BJP withdrew its support to the alliance partner PDP.