Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s oldest political party National Conference (NC) on Monday accused governor Satya Pal Malik, of trying to delay the assembly elections in the state “to lord over J&K sans accountability”
The party hit out at the governor also for his reported remarks that he was also the chief minister of the state. It termed his statements as blatant effort to delay assembly elections in the state. Party spokesperson Mr Imran Nabi Dar said, “Let us remind Mr. Malik that he has been planted by New Delhi as governor of the state, a measure that in all respects is interim till a democratically elected government takes shape.”
The NC spokesman said that the governor’s statement made at Katra near Jammu that he was not only the governor of the state but the chief minister also were not only outrageous but dangerous to the institutions of democracy in J&K. “Such statements have demeaned the institution that Mr. Malik is holding”, he said and expressed shock over the Governor’s reported iteration that “Raj Bhawan is not for playing golf only”.
The NC spokesman said, “People of J&K would have liked to believe that Raj Bhawan will smoothen the path to democracy while maintaining an impartial, apolitical approach towards day-to-day governance issues but that is not to be. Governor Malik wants to lord over J&K sans any accountability”. He added that Mr. Malik “is a nominated individual who is at the helm of affairs in J&K because his political masters in New Delhi wanted someone plaint, unlike his predecessor N.N. Vohra who is known to have taken a pro-state stand on many issues”. The NC further said, “We have seen how his decisions taken without taking people of state on board have deepened the trust deficit in a sensitive state.”
Mr. Imran said that the governor’s “compromised stance” was “more clear than ever” after the recent decision of keeping headquarters of newly carved out division of Ladakh permanently in Leh. “Like BJP, the governor is playing partisan politics,” he alleged. He urged the governor to “guard his tongue and keep the political ambitions of his masters out of Raj Bhawan” and said “The state is a very sensitive one, and the reckless statements of governor can render a jolt to the harmony of the regions.”
