Make public reports of horse-trading in govt formation in J-K: Omar to Guv

NC leader Omar Abdullah Thursday asked Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik to make public reports about horse-trading in government formation in the state, saying people had a right to know who was buying legislators.

His demand came after Malik, defending his decision to dissolve the state assembly, claimed "extensive horse-trading" was going on and it would have been impossible for parties with "opposing political ideologies" to form a stable government.

On Wednesday, PDP with the support of the National Conference (NC) and the Congress staked claim for forming government, but their efforts were cut short as Malik decided to dissolve the assembly, which was in suspended animation since June 19.

"If the governor has himself accepted that MLAs were being bought over, money was changing hands, people should know who was doing it. If the governor has such reports, he should make them public.

"These are not our accusations. It was the governor who said horse-trading was happening and money was changing hands. We want to know where did this money come from? We want to know at whose behest this money was being given and who was being bought?" Abdullah told reporters here.

He said allegations of use of money and horse-trading cannot apply to the NC-PDP-Congress grand alliance, Malik is referring to another letter in which Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone had staked claim for government formation.

"The governor said horse-trading and use of money for engineering defections had to be stopped. In our case, three parties (PDP, Congress and NC) came together. This accusation does not stand against us that money was used here.

"Following our letter (PDP president Mehbooba Mufti's letter to governor), another letter was sent to the governor claiming support of 16 or 18 MLAs. The governor has said on this letter that this is horse-trading and money was changing hands. This cannot be ignored," he said without naming Lone.

The Raj Bhawan had issued a statement Wednesday explaining why the governor had dissolved the assembly.

The NC leader said, "The governor gave reasons for not accepting the claim by the PDP. He said parties were different political ideologies were coming together. Did you ask this question in 2015 when the BJP and the PDP tied up? That time it was dubbed as coming together of north pole and south pole, you had no problems then."
In a sarcastic remark over non-functioning of the Raj Bhawan's fax machine due to which Mehbooba's and Lone's letters could not be delivered to Malik, he said, "This is the first time that a fax machine has scuttled democracy."