No Need To Spread Rumours, Nothing Will Happen Secretly: J-K Governor

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Saturday said that the state has no knowledge of any changes in the Constitutional provisions and assured that the deployment of additional paramilitary forces was purely for security reasons.

Satyapal Malik, PTI

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Saturday said that the state has no knowledge of any changes in the Constitutional provisions and assured that the deployment of additional paramilitary forces was purely for security reasons. He said he has no knowledge of any changes to constitutional provisions and hence no panic should be created in the state. "The Parliament is in session. It is for three-four more days that the Parliament will meet. Whatever will happen, it will not happen secretly. It will come to Parliament and will be discussed. So, there is no reason to spread rumours," Malik said. "Till today I have no information and inclination (about any changes in the Constitutional provisions). I have talked to everybody in Delhi and nobody has given me any hint that we will do this or that," he said. "Somebody is saying that there will be trifurcation, somebody talking about Article 35 A, and Article 370. Nobody has discussed these things with me neither Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) nor Home Minister (Rajnath Singh)," Malik added.

#WATCH J&K Guv on rumours regarding situation in J&K:..I've talked to everybody in Delhi&nobody has given me any hint that we'll do this or that. Somebody's saying there'll be trifurcation,somebody says Article 35 A, 370...Nobody has discussed these things with me either PM or HM pic.twitter.com/RKmb7ahfLE

— ANI (@ANI) August 3, 2019

Meanwhile, Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah on Saturday said he had met Governor Satya Pal Malik to find out what was happening in the state and why nothing was being done to scotch rumours, if those were baseless. "We wanted to know about the current situation in J&K. When we ask officials they say something is happening, but nobody knows what actually is happening," Omar told a press conference after meeting Governor Malik here. He said when Parliament starts functioning the Centre should make a statement on what was the need to end the Amarnath Yatra and pull out tourists from the Valley. "Let Parliament assure us that there is no need for the people to be afraid," he said. Omar said in his meeting with the Governor he told him about rumours surrounding Article 35A, Article 370, delimitation and even trifurcation of the state. "The Governor assured us that in all these issues, no preparation is being made to make any announcement," Omar said. He also pointed out that the final word on J&K was not the Governor but the government of India. "More than what the Governor tells us publicly, I would like to hear from the government of India that there is nothing the people have to be worried about," Omar said. He said his party had appealed to the people to maintain calm and thwart attempts to take to violence on these issues. "The National Conference will never allow any fiddling with the special status both politically and legally. The need of the hour is to hold elections in the state and allow an elected government to deal with the problems of the people. "The PM also talked on the same lines and said he wanted elections in Kashmir. We were very satisfied after the meeting with the PM, but another order terminating the Amarnath Yatra has shocked us," he said.