Defending his immediate call to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday, 21 November, Governor Satya Pal Malik said he took the call in order to save the Valley from an “unworkable alliance” and “a mess”. The following are reasons listed by the governor for dissolving the assembly.
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1. Can’t Allow an Alliance of Opposites
Talking to the media, Governor Malik said that just because the alliance presented numbers does not mean that they will be allowed to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir.
“For giving a chance, number is not important. They are so diametrically opposed that they cannot run a government for even four days. I cannot thwart the state into a mess (Main state ko bhatti mein nahi jhonk sakta),” he told News18, and added that the alliance’s number cannot be ascertained unless proven in Assembly.
The state plunged into a political crisis on Wednesday, 21 November, when Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Assembly after PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and People's Conference leader Sajjad Lone staked their respective claims to form the government in the state.
The governor further stated that he did not want the state to suffer from a “directionless alliance”.
“I cannot hand over the government to an unworkable alliance, I don’t know what will they do if I hand over the government to them, they might go ahead and dissolve panchayat elections, which are currently underway,” the governor said while clarifying his move.
“I don’t know what all they will do, so this was my responsibility to save the state from a mess.”Satya Pal Malik, Governor, Jammu and Kashmir
2. People Didn’t Vote for PDP-NC Alliance
The governor said the mandate PDP President Mehbooba Mufti is talking about was never given to her by the state.
“Let them fight elections now. I will be honoured if they are chosen by the people.”
“When was this proposed alliance a mandate? Had this been a mandate, they would have made the government earlier and she would not have formed the government with the BJP,” Malik told News18.
He said that the proposed alliance by Mufti was not the mandate but an opportunistic alliance of people who had nothing in common.
3. “Can’t Allow Horse-Trading”
The governor said that under no circumstances, he would have allowed “horse trading” and “under defection” of MLAs.
“I have been saying it since day one of my appointment as Governor that I'm not in favour of any government formed in the state with underhand defection and horse trading,” Governor Malik said, adding that he would instead prefer elections are held and selected government rule the state.
Making a revelation, the governor added that he has been receiving complaints of horse trading and MLAs being threatened.
“I've been receiving complaints for past 15 days of horse trading and that MLAs are being threatened. Mehbooba Ji herself complained that her MLAs are being threatened. The other party said there is planning of distribution of money. I couldn't have allowed this to happen,” the governor added.
4. Directionless Alliance Would Demoralise Security Forces
The decision to allow the alliance of NC, PDP and the Congress would have demoralised the armed forces, Governor Malik reasoned.
“Police and army have put their life in way against terrorism in the Valley. They are protecting every life, think about them. They are demoralised and the move to allow the alliance to stake claim would have made for a directionless government with four people going in one direction and six people going in another,” Malik told News18.
5. Dissolved Assembly on Holy Day of Eid
Faced with accusations of ignoring Mehbooba Mufti’s attempt at staking claim to form a government in the Valley - including a tweet - Governor Malik said, “Are governments formed through social media? I neither tweet nor see the tweets. I selected yesterday’s day for the decision of dissolution of assembly as it was a holy day, it was Eid.”
“Election Commission will decide when polls will be held,” he announced.
6. Parties Wanted Assembly to be Dissolved
On being asked what happens when the parties who wanted to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir take a legal route, Malik said they (the parties) can go to court and tell the judge that they wanted the Assembly to be dissolved for five months, which has finally happened.
“They can go. They can say that ‘we wanted the Assembly to be dissolved and now we have got it’,” Malik told News18.
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