Malik said he had acted in the state's interest and according to its constitution as "extensive horse-trading" was going on.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday defended his decision to dissolve the Assembly saying he took the step on Wednesday as it was a holy day of Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi.
Malik said he had acted in the state's interest and according to its constitution as "extensive horse-trading" was going on and it would have been impossible for parties with "opposing political ideologies" to form a stable government.
"I selected yesterday for the decision as it was a holy day, it was Eid," he told reporters when asked why he chose Wednesday to dissolve the Assembly.
On the criticism that the fax at the Raj Bhavan was not working, Malik said it was Eid and nobody was manning the machine.
"Fax is not an issue. Yesterday was Eid. Both of them are devoted Muslim and should know that offices are closed that day. Even my cook was on leave, let alone the person who handles fax. Even if I had received the fax, my stand would have been the same," Malik told reporters at Raj Bhavan in Jammu.
The governor abruptly dissolved the state assembly Wednesday night, hours after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference and the Congress. This was followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties.
However, PDP patron Mehbooba Mufti's letter staking claim to form government did not reach the Governor's office as the fax was not working in the Raj Bhavan.
Later, Mufti had tweeted the letter. On this, the Governor said, "Are governments formed through social media? I neither tweet nor see the tweets."
'Those who want to go to court should go'
He dismissed allegations that he was acting on the Centre's directions and said had this been the case, their side (BJP, People's Conference) would have been called for government formation.
The governor said that those who wanted to move to the court, could do so.
"Why will they go to court? They were demanding this for five months. I want that they go to court, it's their right, they should go," he said.
"For the past 15 to 20 days, I have been getting reports of large-scale horse trading. MLAs are being threatened and several types of underhanded dealings are going on," Malik said.
"Mehbooba Ji told me a week before that her MLAs were being threatened through the NIA. Another side said MLAs were being lured with large-scale money. Horse trading had started 20 days ago," he claimed. "Had I given any side opportunity (for government formation), it would have created more mess. The value system of politics would have been destroyed as is been happening in the rest of the states. I could not afford that," the governor said.
'Would have been impossible for parties with opposing political ideologies to form a stable government'
Malik said it would have been impossible for parties with "opposing political ideologies" to form a stable government.
"We would have altered this situation, had we given an unstable government (to the state). An opportunist government would have been the outcome of this process. We never wanted instability in a sensitive state," Malik said.
He said the NC, PDP, Congress would have fought with each other and it would have created a mess.
Malik said the stability that was in place today in the state was due to the hard work of the armed forces.
"I have no personal interest and for me the interest of the state is prime. For that, I acted and dissolved the assembly as per the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. It was the best action as per my wisdom and I have not been partial," he said.
The governor said when he came to the state he had made his stand clear that he would not be involved in any underhanded dealing or defection and would not approve government formation on the basis of threat. He said he wanted polls to be held and an elected government formed. He said he wanted the stand in court to be that only an elected government be allowed to function.
He hit out at the PDP and the NC, claiming they had told him that they had a majority but he was not given any proof for it. No list was given and no parade of MLAs took place, Malik said. He claimed that the attempt at government formation was of forces which did not want polls to be held in the state.
The governor said they should be happy now that the assembly had been dissolved as this was what they wanted. He said the Election Commission would decide on the Assembly elections.
(With PTI inputs)
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 "Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, ANI")
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