Satya Pal Malik says NC, PDP refused to participate in J-K polls; Omar hits back

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday hit out at former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik for lying frequently, saying he does not live up to his name.

According to media reports, Malik, currently the Governor of Goa, said two regional parties had refused to participate in the polls (in Jammu and Kashmir) under Pakistan's pressure.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that we will conduct panchayat elections (in J&K). I broke the protocol and went to Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti's residences. They refused to participate under Pakistan's pressure. Terrorists also threatened yet the election was held successfully, Malik said on Saturday.

Reacting to the remarks, Omar said the former J-K governor never tires of lying.

Only naam ka satya not kaam ka. He never tires of lying. Lied to people of J&K before 5th August & lying now. Hiding behind walls of Raj Bhavan protected from defamation suits so feels emboldened to shoot his mouth off. Let him say all this when he is no longer governor & see (sic), he wrote on Twitter.

Ordinarily I wouldn't have replied to his nonsensical drivel but then some people start believing he's telling the truth, I learnt that the hard way with his rubbish, so now I don't take any of his lies lying down, he said in another tweet.

In September 2018, the PDP and National Conference boycotted urban local body and panchayat polls, saying the central government was not committing to safeguarding the special constitutional provisions for Jammu and Kashmir.

Both the parties had announced not to contest the polls until the Centre and the governor administration clarified the position on Article 35-A which conferred special rights and privileges to Jammu and Kashmir.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre removed both Article 370 and Article 35A of the constitution and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.