'Will go to ‘people’s court’ over J&K guv’s decision'

Days after Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik abruptly dissolved the state assembly, PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday ruled out moving the court against the decision saying she will go to ‘people’s court’ instead,

“Some sincere suggestions from the well-wishers for me to go to court against Governor's dissolution of the assembly. PDP, NC, INC had come together to safeguard state interests. It is my considered opinion that we must go to people’s court which is superior to any other forum (sic),” she tweeted.

The assembly was abruptly dissolved on Wednesday by the governor as both Mehbooba and People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone staked claim to form the government. While Mehbooba claimed support of 15 National Conference (NC) MLAs and 12 legislators of Congress besides 28 members of her party, Lone claimed support of 25 BJP lawmakers and 18 unnamed legislators besides two members of his PC.

The governor cited “extensive horse-trading” and the “impossibility” of forming a stable government by coming together of political parties with “opposing political ideologies” for dissolving the assembly.

The NC leader and former CM Omar Abdullah had already put the ball in the court of PDP regarding challenging the governor’s decision to dissolve the assembly. Asked whether his party would move court against the Governor’s decision, “It is for the PDP to decide whether to take the legal course or not. Legally, we don’t have a case to make. As I don’t have a document on which to claim governor ignored what we had to say. My conversation was with PDP. It’s for PDP to decide whether it wants to take legal recourse. I didn’t provide documentary support,” he had said.

The state is currently under governor's rule which was imposed after a popular government headed by Mehbooba fell when BJP pulled out of the ruling coalition on June 19.