Srinagar, Jun 20: Jammu and Kashmir was today placed under Governor’s rule for the fourth time in the last one decade after the BJP withdrew support to its alliance partner PDP, prompting Mehbooba Mufti to resign as the Chief Minister. The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was also put under suspended animation.
A Home Ministry spokesman said, “The President has approved imposition of Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect.”
The political developments of Jammu and Kashmir continued to dominate the night as President Ram Nath Kovind was in mid air when Governor N N Vohra sent his report to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The details of the Governor’s report were immediately sent to Suriname where the president was scheduled to land at 6.30 pm (3 am IST).
The president after perusing the report gave his assent and the same was sent to the Union Home Ministry by 6 am (IST) following which a process of promulgating Governor’s rule was prepared and sent to Srinagar.
“Immediately after receiving the President of India’s approval, Governor N N Vohra issued the proclamation to impose Governor’s Rule in the state under Section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir today,” a Raj Bhavan spokesman said in Srinagar.
The BJP stunned Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday afternoon after they pulled out of the over three-year-old ruling coalition with the PDP in the state and called for Governor’s rule.
Making the announcement in New Delhi yesterday, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said the party was withdrawing support to the coalition government, which had been wracked by bitter political feuds and worsening security challenges.
“It has become untenable for the BJP to continue in the alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir,” Madhav had said.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was today put under suspended animation, according to a proclamation issued by Governor N N Vohra.
The Governor placed the Legislative Assembly in suspended animation till the proclamation of Governor’s Rule is revoked or varied by a subsequent proclamation.
“The legislative Assembly of the state shall remain under suspended animation,” the proclamation said.
Vohra said 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.
“Now, therefore, in exercise of powers conferred by Section 92 of the state Constitution and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, and with concurrence of President of India, I hereby proclaim that I assume to myself all the functions of government of the state and all powers vested in or exercisable by anybody or authority (other than the powers vested in or exercisable by the high court) in the state,” the proclamation read.
This is the eighth time in the last four decades that the state has been put under Governor’s rule and the fourth during the tenure of Vohra since 2008.
Governor’s rule was imposed in the state for the first time during the tenure of Vohra for 174 days after the PDP withdrew support to the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Congress-PDP coalition government in 2008.
The PDP withdrew support to the government on June 28, 2008, following widespread protests during the Amarnath land row agitation that pitted the Hindu-dominated Jammu region against the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley.
The central rule came to an end on January 05, 2009, after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the youngest Chief Minister of the state.
Governor’s rule was imposed in the state for the second time during his tenure after the Assembly election results on December 23, 2014, threw up a hung assembly with no party or combination of parties able to stake claim for government formation and Omar, the then caretaker Chief Minister, asking to be relieved from duties with immediate effect on January 07.
The central rule ended after the PDP and the BJP stitched an alliance paving the way for the return of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as Chief Minister on March 01, 2015.
The last time the state was put under the central rule was on January 08, 2016, after allies — the PDP and the BJP — deferred the government formation process following the death of Mufti Sayeed.
It came to an end after Mehbooba Mufti was sworn in as the Chief Minister on April 04, 2016.
