J&K Governor fears ‘threat of transfer’ after remarks suggesting Centre’s pressure

Following his remarks that the Narendra Modi government wanted him to install Sajad Lone as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Governor Satya Pal Malik on Tuesday said that he was facing a “threat of transfer”. Speaking at a function to mark the death anniversary of Congress leader Girdhari Lal Dogra in Jammu, Malik said that although he will not lose his job, there is an evident threat that he may be transferred from the state

“As long as I'm here - it's not in my hands - I don't know when I will be transferred from here. I will not lose my job, but the threat of transfer is there. As long as I'm here, I assure you that whenever you will call me, I will come here to pay my tributes,” Governor Malik said.

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Malik had to face severe criticism from the Opposition parties after his move to abruptly dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly hours after reports of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form a coalition government with the help of the Congress and the National Conference. He, however, defended his move but in the process ended up suggesting that the Centre was pressurising him to make Lone as the new CM instead of Mufti.

Speaking in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, Malik said, “Had I looked towards Delhi (the Centre), then I would have been forced to invite Sajad Lone to form the government. Then I would have gone down in history as unscrupulous. But I ended the whole thing. Those who want to abuse me can do so, but I am convinced I did the right thing."

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Last week, Jammu and Kashmir had witnessed an intense political drama after former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form a coalition government with sworn enemies, the National Conference and the Congress finally resulting in the dissolution of the state Legislative Assembly by Governor Satya Pal Malik.