J&K Under Governor’s Rule After BJP Ends Coalition Govt With PDP

The state of Jammu and Kashmir found itself under Governor's rule on Wednesday, 20 June, a day after the BJP snapped ties with the PDP, signalling the end of the three-year-old rocky coalition government in the state.

BJP chief Amit Shah blamed 'pressure groups' and cited worsening law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley for its decision to walk out of the alliance. Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti, who resigned as CM on Tuesday itself, said J&K cannot be treated as "enemy territory", while clarifying that the PDP will not get into any other alliance.

Speaking to the media two days after the BJP snapped ties with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, the former's national general secretary said the "decision never had electoral consideration behind it, but was for the largest interest of the nation and J&K's people.

He also slammed National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, while denying allegations of horse-trading.

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday blamed "pressure groups" in Jammu and Kashmir for stalling his party's efforts for an equitable growth in all three regions of the state and cited worsening law and order situation in the Valley for its decision to walk out of the PDP-led government.

In his first comments following the break-up of the PDP-BJP alliance on Tuesday, he also claimed that the decision to withdraw support was not taken keeping in mind the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

If that was the case, then it would have been done six months later, Shah said told Zee News in an interview.

"The balance in development which should have been there among the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh did not happen and there was also this (worsening) law and order situation," he said, citing the reasons behind his party's decision.

Senior Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer BVR Subrahmanyam appointed Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary.

BB Vyas and former IPS officer Vijay Kumar appointed advisors to governor, an official communique said.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad hit out at the BJP government saying that the party formed an ‘unethical alliance’ with the PDP in 2015, which deteriorated the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

“BJP has killed the economy of Kashmir. They cannot escape from this accountability. Tourism is severely hit,” Nabi said. He added that under the BJP-PDP government most number of ceasefire violations and civilian killings were recorded.

The services of BVR Subrahmanyam, a senior IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, has been placed at the disposal of the Jammu and Kashmir government, according to an official communique.

The 55-year-old bureaucrat, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, is likely to be appointed as the chief secretary in the Jammu and Kashmir government in place of incumbent BB Vyas, officials told PTI.

Sources also told the news agency that Vyas may be appointed as an advisor to Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra. Subrahmanyam, considered an expert in internal security matters, has served as private secretary to former prime minister Manmohan Singh during 2004-2008.

Refuting reports of a possible alliance with the PDP, former J&K CM tweeted that he had not met any PDP MLA in that regard.

J&K Governor NN Vohra held a meeting with administrative officers and security forces after Governor’s rule was imposed in the valley.

While addressing the media, Ravinder Raina blamed the PDP for increased terror in the state. He also said that party president Amit Shah will address the rally on 23 June to mark syama Prasad Mukherjee Balidan Divas

He also slammed Omar Abdullah over his comments of BJP wanting to resort to horse trading in the valley to form the government.

“Those who say that horse trading is being done, are the ones who actually do it. We have no motive to do any kind of horse-trading in J&K,” said Raina.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that the imposition of Governor’s rule in the valley will not affect the security operations in any way.

“We only stopped our operations during Ramzan. But, we saw what happened. The imposing of Governor's rule will not affect our operations. Our operations will go on like they used to. We don't face any political interference,” said Rawat.

National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, 20 June, slammed former deputy CM Kavinder Gupta’s comments on government formations and hinted that the BJP might resort to horse trading for government formation in the valley.

Governor of Jammu & Kashmir NN Vohra will address senior administration officers and security forces at 11:45 am on Wednesday, 20 June in Srinagar, reported ANI.

Former J&K deputy CM Kavinder Gupta said that the state is unlikely to get a new government anytime soon.

“I don't think a new government will be formed anytime soon. Uncertainties are there, but we are working on something and people will get to know about it,” said Gupta.

President Ram Nath Kovind has approved imposition of Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect on Wednesday, 20 June.

The Shiv Sena lauded the BJP for walking out of the government in Jammu and Kashmir, but questioned why it took "three years and sacrifices of 600 soldiers" for the Amit Shah-led party to realise that the coalition with PDP was "useless".

The Sena, second largest constituent of the NDA, also wondered if the BJP's decision to pull out of the state government was taken to avoid "uneasy questions" over violence against soldiers ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"I congratulate the BJP for their decision," Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing party workers at the party's 52nd anniversary celebrations.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said it was "a relief" that the "opportunistic" PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir collapsed on Tuesday, 19 June, and expressed hope that “the muscular, militaristic policy does not come back under the guise of Governor's Rule”.

Chidambaram, said in a series of tweets said, “The muscular, militaristic policy was a disaster from Day One.”

“Who the next Governor will be is crucial,” Chidambaram tweeted.

After concluding his consultations with all the major political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor NN Vohra has forwarded his report to the President of India for imposition of Governor’s Rule under Section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, reported ANI.

The Centre may appoint a new governor in Jammu and Kashmir after the two-month-long Amarnath yatra, which starts on 28 June, a senior BJP leader told PTI. He said the central government would like incumbent NN Vohra to be in charge of the annual pilgrimage given his vast experience.

Vohra, who was appointed governor in June 2008 and given a fresh term in 2013, is among the few governors appointed by the UPA government to have continued in his position in the BJP-led NDA dispensation.

Speaking to PTI, he said: “We may consider having a new governor after the yatra is over.”

The conduct of the annual pilgrimage has been a high-security exercise and the deteriorating condition in the Valley has heightened the threat perception this year.

(With inputs from PTI)

National Conference’s Vice President Omar Abdullah raised questions on outgoing CM Mufti’s “muscular policy” remark.

In the wake of the split, BJP lawmaker Subramanium Swamy stirred up a controversy by lashing out at his own party for allying with the BJP.
In an exclusive interview with The Quint’s Editorial Director Sanjay Pugalia, the Rajya Sabha MP said:

“It has always been BJP’s belief that the party has good number of MLAs, the basis on which it needs to work towards a majority in Jammu and Kashmir assembly. J&K Chief Minister should be a Hindu. The convention of a Muslim always holding the chief ministerial post in the state is wrong,” Swamy said.

Levelling serious allegations against the former CM Mufti’s capability, he said:

Watch the interview here.

The BJP won 25 seats and the PDP 28 in the 87-member assembly and came together in alliance, two months after the December 2014 elections. The NC has 15 seats, the Congress 12 and others seven.

If the Governor’s rule is imposed in Jammu and Kashmir, it will be the fourth time since 2008 and the eighth time since 1977.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed both the BJP and the PDP for destroying “UPA’s hard work” in the state. In a tweet, Gandhi wrote:

Speaking to the media on the BJP-PDP split, Uttar Pradesh CM, Yogi Adityanath said that the Deputy CM of J&K and local leadership was taken into confidence.

“Local leadership, Deputy CM (of J&K) and state ministers were taken into confidence, in the interest of the country and J&K BJP took this step. The BJP will continue to do whatever is necessary for benefit of the state,” Adityanath said.

Locals in North Kashmir’s Handwara celebrated after the BJP pulled out of the alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Shiv Sena wondered if the BJP’s decision to part ways with alliance partner PDP in J&K was taken to avoid “uneasy questions” over violence in the state ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Dubbing the saffron party's decision as a “political move”, Sena leader Sanjay Raut said the coming together of the PDP-BJP to form the government in the state was "unnatural and unholy".

He said Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had opposed the tie-up, calling it an "anti-national" alliance.

“The BJP-PDP had cut a deal to gain power. Our soldiers had to pay a big price for this. The incidents of our soldiers' martyrdom had gone up ever since the combine formed the government,” Raut told reporters in Mumbai.

“If the BJP took this decision to avoid answering these issues in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, I think it is a political decision,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

Addressing the media, outgoing Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufta said that the alliance between BJP-PDP was aimed at reconciliation and dialogue with the people of the J&K, and that it took them months to work in tandem with each other. “The main motive of the alliance was reconciliation with Pakistan and with the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.

Mufti reiterated her stand that J&K can’t be treated as an “enemy territory” and “muscular policy” will not work in the state.

“I have told the Governor that we will not go into any other alliance,” she said.

Listing the achievement’s of her government, Mehbooba Mufti also said: “We have been able to withdraw 11,000 cases against the stone pelters, given an offer of talks with all shades of opinion by none other than Union Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) and brought about a unilateral ceasefire”.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level meet along with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Home Secretary & Joint Secretary of J&K at his residence in Delhi.

Opposition National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah addressed the media after his meeting with J&K Governor NN Vohra and has clarified that NC will not form an alliance with any party.

“We didn’t have the mandate in 2014 and we don’t have the mandate now to form the government. We have neither been approached by any party, nor have we approached anyone,” Abdullah said.

Abdullah also said that he wasn’t surprised with BJP’s decision to pull out of the alliance but he expected it to happen a little later in the year.

Omar Abdullah’s National Conference will not support PDP to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, CNN-News18 quoted sources as saying.

Moments after Mufti tendered her resignation, National Conference's Omar Abdullah met Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra in Srinagar, reported ANI.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the BJP over its decision to pull out of its alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that the party had "ruined" the state.

Kejriwal also brought up the issue of demonetisation in a series of tweets following the BJP's announcement.

The BJP had blamed the break up of the alliance on the growing radicalism and terrorism in the state.

PDP spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir has indicated that further decisions will be made at the party meeting which will be held at 4 pm.

Another PDP leader Naeem Akhtar has said, “We will talk in detail at 5 pm”.

PDP Spokesperson, Rafi Ahmad Mir, told ANI said that the break up between the PDP and the BJP has come as a surprise to the party.

“We tried our best to run the government with BJP. This had to happen. This is a surprise for us because we did not have any indication about their decision,” Mir added.

Speaking to the media, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that there is no question of an alliance with the PDP.

“Whatever has happened is good. People of J&K will get some relief. They (BJP) have ruined Kashmir and have now pulled out, maximum number of civilian and army men died during these 3 years,” Azad said.

J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has tendered her resignation to Governor Narinder Nath Vohra.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted, “And so it has come to pass,” after BJP snapped their alliance with PDP in J&K.

J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti will reportedly submit her resignation to the Governor Narinder Nath Vohra shortly, said senior PDP minister Naeem Akhtar.

The BJP called for Governor Narinder Nath Vohra’s rule in the state, following its withdrawal of alliance with the PDP in the Valley.

He said that BJP’s efforts to fight terrorism will continue, even if governor’s rule is imposed in the state.

BJP leader Ram Madhav, addressing the media on Tuesday, 19 June, said that the party was calling off the three-year-old alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir as it had become “untenable.”

Separatist leaders have called for a complete shutdown in Kashmir on Wednesday, 20 June, against the killings of journalist Shujaat Bukhari and civilians, gunned down by security forces in the past few days.

The Joint Resistance Leadership, an amalgamation of separatist groups, said in a statement that there had been a sudden spike in civilian killings since the eve of Eid. It also demanded an international probe into Bukhari's killing.

"Joint Resistance Leadership has called for a complete strike tomorrow against the continued civilian killings in the valley, which has witnessed a sudden spike since the eve of Eid... three young boys have been brutally gunned down by the Indian forces while the fourth is struggling for life at SKIMS," the statement said.

BJP President Amit Shah called for an urgent meeting of party ministers in the Jammu and Kashmir government along with some other top leaders in the national capital on Tuesday, 19 June.

The BJP central leadership would deliberate on the party's strategy in the state ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and also take stock of the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir, sources told PTI.