Jammu & Kashmir

Union cabinet briefed about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, says Jaitley

Srinagar: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said that the Union Cabinet was briefed about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir where Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the assembly after Mehbooba Mufti and Sajad Lone tried to stake claim for formation of government.

Addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting here, Jaitley said, “Though Jammu and Kashmir was not on the agenda of the Cabinet meeting, members of the Cabinet were briefed about the situation.”

The governor abruptly dissolved the state assembly Wednesday night, hours after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival NC 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.

Malik Thursday stated that his decision to abruptly dissolve the assembly came as a result of MLAs receiving ‘terror threats’  and ‘directions to form the government’, Indian Express reported.

“I had been receiving reports from various quarters, including intelligence agencies, for the last week to ten days that in efforts to form the government, the atmosphere has been made vicious,” Malik said, as per the report.

“I had been receiving reports from various quarters, including intelligence, that the atmosphere has been so vitiated that money is being offered at large scale. People are being threatened and even issued terrorist threats. This is how efforts are being made to form government. How could I have allowed it?,” Malik asked.

However, the BJP has said that the three have come together on directions of Pakistan.

In a hurriedly called press conference in Jammu at the BJP headquarters, in reaction to the alliance, BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said, “These parties are coming together to form government on directions of Pakistan just to keep BJP away.”

His comments were endorsed by BJP General Secretary, Ram Madhav who said that the alliance came into being on the behest of Pakistan.

In a Presser, Omar Abdullah sharply reacted to his comments and demanded an apology. 

“It’s unfortunate that a senior BJP leader has said we have got instructions from Pakistan. I challenge Ram Madhav sahib & his associates to prove this with evidence. You are disrespecting sacrifices of my colleagues who refused to dance at Pakistan’s instructions and died,” he said.

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