Why didn't Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah contact me if they were serious about forming government: J&K Governor

Gwalior: Defending his decision to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Governor Satya Pal Malik on Saturday said PDP president and ex-chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, and NC vice president Omar Abdullah could have easily contacted him if they were serious about forming a government.

The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was abruptly dissolved by Governor Satyapal Malik on Wednesday night hours after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference (NC) and the Congress. It 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.

"If PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and NC leader Omar Abdullah were serious about forming a government (by joining hands) in Jammu and Kashmir, they should have rung me up, or sent me a letter," Malik said at the convocation ceremony of a private university.

"I am always accessible on phone. When I get messages on WhatsApp, I try to mitigate the problem," he said, adding, "There are several flights between Jammu and Srinagar and if they were serious about forming the government, they should have sent a representative across."

Malik went to say that Mehbooba had told him a week ago that her party MLAs were being "threatened", including with arrest.

He said People's Conference leader Sajjad Lone had also claimed that his two MLAs were being threatened.