J-K Governor's remark on govt formation vindicates Opposition charge: Cong

The Congress in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday said that Governor Satya Pal Malik's remark on government formation in the state has vindicated the opposition charge that the BJP wanted him to install a government through "unconstitutional act".

Malik on Saturday said had he looked to Delhi, he would have had to install a government led by Sajad Lone, and history would have remembered him as a "dishonest man".

Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Gulam Ahmed Mir said that this vindicates our stand that the governor had to dissolve the state assembly since he had no option to defeat the claim of single largest party led by Mehbooba Mufti for government formation.

"As the governor had no option except to invite the single largest party claiming majority to form the government, the governor resorted to dissolving the assembly to prevent the government formation, since he was under pressure to install the BJP-supported government," Mir added.

The governor had abruptly dissolved the state Assembly last week after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference (NC)and the Congress. This was followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference led by Lone which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties.

Mir said Malik had to resort to "unconstitutional act" of dissolving the House in haste without exercising the constitutional obligation of inviting the single largest party claiming strength to prove majority on the floor of the House.

He also regretted that Malik was "lowering" the august office of the governor by repeatedly changing stance and retracting statements.

"But the cat is finally out of the bag now that the Modi government was putting a pressure on the governor to install a chief minister with the backing of the BJP by arranging numbers apparently through horse-trading," he added.

Mir said for over five months, the Centre and the governor waited for the BJP ally to cobble numbers by hook or crook for government formation, but as soon as there was a genuine claim from the other side (PDP) having their own numbers for the same, he (governor) had to rush for dissolving the assembly by closing all channels of communication.

Although a week ago he had stated that the assembly shall not be dissolved but kept under suspended animation even for full term of six years, he said.

During a pre-convocation academic conclave of ITM University in Gwalior, Malik had said,"Delhi ki taraf dekhta toh muje Lone ki sarkar banana padhti aur mein ithihas mein ek bayiman aadmi ke tor pe jata...(Had I looked to Delhi, I would have had to install a government led by Lone, and history would have remembered me as a dishonest man).