‘Seeing things slipping from their hands, they came to me with an unholy alliance’ says JK Governor Satya Pal Malik

“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”

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik on Thursday finally broke his silence on the ongoing political tussle in the state after he dissolved the state assembly via a communique released by the Raj Bhavan. Clearing his take on the matter, Malik said that “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”. He further added saying, “I would instead want that elections are held and selected government rules the state”. “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” he said. “The other party said there is planning of distribution of money. I couldn't have allowed this to happen” he added. He further asserted that “These forces who are complaining are those who don’t want grassroot democracy and seeing that things are slipping from their hands, came to me with a formation of a unholy alliance”. “I didn’t favour anyone, I stood with what was in favour of the people of Jammu and Kashmir” he added.

I have been saying it since day one of my appointment as Governor that I'm not in favour of any govt formed in the state with underhand defection & horse trading. I would instead want that elections are held & selected government rules the state: J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik pic.twitter.com/2r5qOAs9TZ

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2018

In another late-night communique, the Governor cited four main reasons for dissolving the Assembly with immediate effect, including "extensive horse-trading and possible exchange of money" and the "impossibility" of forming a stable government by parties with "opposing political ideologies".