SRINAGAR, NOV 27: Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik has said that both PDP and Sajad had ‘no numbers’ to form the government as nobody among them came forward with their numbers.
Sajad Lone would have become chief minister of the state had he sought the opinion of New Delhi before dissolving the legislative assembly. Both Lone — the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference — and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tried to stake competing claims to form a new government last week.
On government formation in Jammu and Kashmir Malik said that Lone was the first person to stake a claim to form a new administration. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (which was part of the other prospective alliance) weren’t serious about forming a government, and wanted to see the state assembly dissolved, Malik said.
Malik said, he feared that horse-trading might have taken place to form the government and that it could have led to “killings and chaos in Kashmir.”
Defending his decision to annul the assembly, Malik said that he received congratulatory messages praising him.
Governor Malik said that Modi government wanted him to install Sajad Lone as the state’s chief minister, right before he dissolved the assembly last week. If he had listened to “Delhi”, Malik said during an event on November 24 in Gwalior, “I would have had to install Sajad Lone as CM, and I would have become dishonest forever.”
During his speech at the pre-convocation academic conclave at ITM University, Malik also said there is no possibility of autonomy, freedom or merger with Pakistan in Kashmir.
He said that the Kashmir issue is there because of the false dreams shown by the politicians for last fifty years.
“Nobody including mainstream political parties or Hurriyat or Pakistan can resolve the Kashmir issue but the youth in the Valley only can resolve the Kashmir issue,” he said.
“I do not want to be remembered as a dishonest man in the books of history,” he said.
He said that in case the government was formed in the state the situation in the Valley would have deteriorated.
“I got many WhatsApp messages wherein people hailed my decision,” he said.
Interestingly, the Governor said that Sajjad had also sent a letter to form the government but not to his PA but to the PA of the erstwhile Governor NN Vohra.
He said that the dreams shown by the politicians including autonomy, freedom and merger with Pakistan is not possible in the Valley, saying that the youth are now being given a hard-line teaching by being told that they will get a place in heaven after sacrificing their life but “I want to tell them that they can only have it when they are alive. I will give them everything whatever is possible within the ambit of Indian constitution.”
He said that a youth was recently selected in IPL and over 20000 people visited his house and congratulated him. Besides, a football match was being played recently between Mohan Bagan and Kashmir team and at least 36000 people were watching the match. “Police officer told me that where are stone pelters today and I told him that they are all watching the match who not only were supporting Kashmir team but also the opposite team,” he said.
Governor further said that CBC and Sainik schools were be opened in the Valley, which people have agreed to. He further added that Delhi demonize Kashmiris as people die at other places as well. “I talked to a media person on the embankment of Dal Lake for almost an hour and that too without security,” he said.
Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed an intense political drama on Wednesday after former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti claimed to form a coalition government with sworn enemies, the National Conference and the Congress finally resulting in the dissolution of the state Legislative Assembly by Governor Satya Pal Malik.
Mehbooba Mufti’s efforts to form a government got a boost after former deputy chief minister and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig openly supported the third front. “I would leave the party if the third front emerges,” Baig said addressing a press conference in Srinagar. According to Baig, the PDP failed to live up to its vision. (PTK)