Jammu and Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti will go to 'people's court' against Gov. decision

Days after Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, former chief minister and PDP chief Mehobboba Mufti on Monday ruled out moving the court against the Governor's decision. Mufti said her well-wishers have asked her to approach the court against Malik's order but she will go to the people's court, which is superior to any other forum.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. (File Photo: AP)

NEW DELHI: Days after Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, former chief minister and PDP chief Mehobboba Mufti on Monday ruled out moving the court against the Governor's decision. Mufti said her well-wishers have asked her to approach the court against Malik's order but she will go to the people's court, which is superior to any other forum. "Some sincere suggestions from well wishers for me to go to court against governor's dissolution of assembly. PDP, NC, INC had come together to safeguard state interests. It is my considered opinion that we must go to people's court which is superior to any other forum," Mufti said in a tweet. The assembly was abruptly dissolved on November 21, hours after 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. The governor had justified the decision, saying it was necessary to stop the use of money and horse-trading in government formation. The state was put under Governor's Rule on June 19 after the BJP withdrew from the coalition government with the PDP, but the governor decided to keep the the Assembly in suspended animation. Later, NC leader Omar Abdullah asked the Governor to make public reports about horse-trading in government formation in the state. "If the governor has himself accepted that MLAs were being bought over, money was changing hands, people should know who was doing it. If the governor has such reports, he should make them public. "These are not our accusations. It was the governor who said horse-trading was happening and money was changing hands. We want to know where did this money come from? We want to know at whose behest this money was being given and who was being bought?" Abdullah had said. He said allegations of use of money and horse-trading cannot apply to the NC-PDP-Congress grand alliance, Malik is referring to another letter in which Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone had staked claim for government formation.