M A I N   N E W S

Saxena ‘bowed under BJP pressure’
Cong renews efforts to persuade Mufti
S. P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 18
Having taken by surprise, most of the parties except the National Conference have accused the Governor, Mr G. C Saxena, of succumbing to the pressure of the BJP-led Central government and suddenly imposing the Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir by violating his own deadline of October 21 set for any party to stake claim to form a government in the state.

These parties have alleged that the caretaker Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, forced the imposition of the Governor’s rule in the state by refusing to continue in the office.

The proclamation issued by the Governor, copies of which were provided to mediapersons this afternoon, says since no political party has come forward to form a stable government in the state despite efforts in this regard and more so Dr Abdullah had conveyed his inability on October 17 to continue as Chief Minister beyond midnight, the Governor, after having satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, imposed Governor’s rule with the concurrence of the President.

Reacting sharply, these parties have alleged that Mr Saxena succumbed to the pressure of the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, and defeated the popular mandate.

Surprised over the action, the CLP leader, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, convened a meeting of the legislators supporting him for forming the government and took stock of the situation. He later left for Delhi to brief the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, of the situation and discuss the future course of action.

He told mediapersons after the meeting that it was unfortunate that the Governor first extended the deadline for forming the government by five days and suddenly imposed the Governor’s rule without consulting any political party. Mr Saxena had sent letters to the NC, the Congress and the PDP on October 16 asking them to stake their claims till 5 pm on October 21.

Mr Azad said there was no justification for imposing the Governor’s rule when Mr Saxena had himself extended the deadline. There was pressure on the Governor from the Centre which resulted in such action.

The Panthers Party chief, Mr Bhim Singh, described the action as a “Delhi-sponsored assault on the democratic process in the state”. He said Raj Bhavan had failed to justify why the Governor’s rule had been imposed and the Assembly placed in suspended animation when the process for installing a democratic government was initiated by various parties.

Mr Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, CPM MLA and leader of the seven-member group of Independent legislators, said those opposing a change in Kashmir had temporarily won by succeeding in imposing the Governor’s rule.

One the other hand, the NC has said the decision of Dr Farooq Abdullah not to continue in the office beyond the expiry of he term of the Assembly was in the interest of the constitutional propriety and was based on consultations with a wide range of legal opinion. Constitutional experts were uniformly of the view that the continuation of Dr Abdullah as Chief Minister had become untenable once the tenure of the old House had expired and a new Assembly constituted.

Meanwhile, renewed efforts have been initiated by the Congress high command to break the deadlock and persuade Mr Mufti Sayeed, President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to support the formation of a Congress led coalition government in the state.

A highly placed source in the Congress told TNS that senior leaders, including Mr Manmohan Singh and Mr Arjun Singh, were in contact with Mr Sayeed to muster his support although the Congress had got the backing of 42 MLAs.

Briefing mediapersons about his meeting with the newly elected legislators, Mr Azad said besides the 20 MLAs of the Congress, seven Independents, four MLAs of the Panthers party, attended the meeting. The seven Independents, who have extended conditional support to the Congress, were not invited to the meting. He alleged that Dr Abdullah had himself precipitated the crisis although there was no harm in continuing as caretaker Chief Minister for five more days when he had already remained in the office for a week.

He said he had the support of at least 40 MLAs, but “we want that the PDP should also come along in the formation of the government as the mandate was against the NC”.

Meanwhile, Mr Bhim Singh met Dr Abdullah and Mr Tarigami and had given a deadline of three days to the Congress to form a government failing which he will himself stake the claim to form a government.

It is learnt that many newly elected MLAs in a meeting with Mr Azad said he should have pre-empted the tacit of Dr Abdullah by staking the claim to form the government yesterday.

JAMMU: The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), headed by Mr Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, has staked the claim for the post of Chief Minister on the basis of its strength in having defeated the NC from its stronghold in the Kashmir valley and not on the consideration that the top post should go to a Kashmiri.

The General Secretary of the PDP, Mr Ved Mahajan, told newsmen here on Friday that the PDP manifesto had promised to end regional discrimination and development of backward areas in the Jammu region.