J&K Governor kicks up a storm, says Centre wanted Lone as CM, denies later

Ï would have become dishonest forever if I had to listened to Delhi, said Satya Pal Singh

In a shocking claim, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Singh has hinted at pressure from the Centre, suggesting that the Modi government wanted to see People's Conference leader Sajad Lone as the next chief minister of the Valley.

"Ï would have become dishonest forever if I had to listened to Delhi as the Centre wanted to install Lone as CM," he said at a public event, according to TV reports.

However, the J&K Governor later denied the comment, saying that the Centre never interfered in the state's politics. 

Earlier the governor had defended his decision to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was abruptly dissolved by Governor Satyapal Malik last week after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference (NC) and the Congress 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 Congress had accused the Modi government of pushing Jammu and Kashmir into a cycle of violence, 'bereft of democratic institutions', and slammed the decision of the Governor to dissolve the state assembly as 'unconstitutional and unethical'.