Guv dissolves J-K assembly in haste: Tarigami

The decision of Governor Satya Pal Malik to dissolve Jammu and Kashmir assembly was taken in haste and not keeping in mind the constitutional spirit, CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami said here on Thursday.

The governor abruptly dissolved the state assembly Wednesday night, hours after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival NC and the Congress.

This was followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties.

"The decision was taken in haste and not keeping in mind the constitutional spirit. Why was not the Assembly dissolved when the previous coalition government fell in June?" Tarigami told reporters.

The MLA from Kulgam said the aim of keeping the assembly in suspended animation was probably to find possibilities to form a new alliance.

"But no party came forward for forming the government till yesterday and the Assembly continued to remain in suspended animation. When major political parties started consultations for the government formation and when PDP, which was the single largest party in the outgoing Assembly, reportedly staked claim to form the government, the Assembly was dissolved in haste," he said.

Tarigami said the options before the Governor were to provide an opportunity to the new alliance to be heard and discuss the contours of the new alliance with them.

"But the BJP Government in Delhi got so unnerved with the talks for formation of a popular government in infancy stage, that they dissolved the state assembly," he claimed.

"Unfortunately, constitutional procedures were not followed. The Governor, who had declared days ago that the assembly would not be dissolved, lost no time in going for dissolution," he added.

Defending his decision to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Governor Satya Pal Malik Thursday claimed "extensive horse-trading" was going on and it would have been impossible for parties with "opposing political ideologies" to form a stable government.

Malik said he had acted in the state's interest and according to its constitution. He dismissed allegations that he was acting on the Centre's directions and said had this been the case, their side (BJP, People's Conference) would have been called for government formation.