JK Governor Satya Pal Malik says Delhi wanted him to install Sajad Lone as CM

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has said People's Conference chairman Sajjad Lone would have been the chief minister had he hearkened to the Centre's advice.

J & K Governor Satya Pal Malik. PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has said People's Conference chairman Sajjad Lone would have been the chief minister had he hearkened to the Centre's advice. Malik's statement came days after he abruptly the state assembly on November 21, as the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference and the Congress, followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 MLAs from other parties. "Let me clarify once again, had I looked towards Delhi, then I would have invited Sajad Lone to form the government and I would have gone down in history as a dishonest person. Therefore, I had put an end to the entire matter," Malik said. He said he was convinced that he did the right thing. After passing the order, Malik had said he acted in the state's interest and according to its constitution. A lot of horse trading was happening, Malik said, adding that he would not allow a government by defections. "I acted according to the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and dissolved the state assembly in the state's interest," he said. The governor said he wanted polls to take place in the state and an elected government to function. The Congress, National Conference and the PDP have accused the Governor of acting on the behest of the Centre in dissolving the assembly. NC leader Omar Abdullah questioned Malik's rejection of the move for a PDP-NC-Congress government on grounds of "opposing political ideologies" and asked why the same principle was not applied when the PDP joined hands BJP in 2015. Charging the Modi government with pushing Jammu-Kashmir into an "unending cycle of violence", the Congress had accused the BJP of ruling the state "through proxy". ALSO REDA: High drama in JK, Governor dissolves assembly amid claims for power "We strongly condemn the way the Governor illegally and unconstitutionally dissolved the Assembly. The Governor has toyed with the Constitution and it was done at the behest of the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO)," Congress leader Manish Tewari had said.