The Governor allegedly said that rebel NC candidate Junaid Mattoo would be next mayor of Srinagar.
J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik has come under sharp criticism from different political parties, including Congress which is participating in the local polls, over his comments during an interview to a Delhi-based television channel that the new mayor of Srinagar would be a National Conference (NC) rebel who recently resigned from the party and contested the civic elections.
Raj Bhavan immediately started a damage-control exercise after outrage by almost all political parties barring the BJP and said that the Governor was misquoted by the channel. Raj Bhavan spokesman said that the civic elections were being held in most free and fair and transparent manner. He said that there would be and there is no role whatsoever of Raj Bhavan and it is exclusively in the hands of the people to choose their representatives.
While responding to a question during the interview about poll boycott by NC and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Malik apparently said that both the parties are now regretting their decision. He is said to have added that as per his information, Srinagar is getting a new mayor who is a foreign-educated young person. He is also claimed to have told the interviewer that the name of new mayor is Junaid Mattoo who would be better than Farooq Abdullah to serve the people of Kashmir.
The spokesman of Raj Bhavan said that there has been an attempt by the channel and by many other media houses to play the part of the interview of the Governor in a distorted manner. The spokesman said that this distortion of facts has resulted in a flurry of allegations that the Governor has decided that a certain candidate would be the mayor of Srinagar.
He said the exact statement of the Governor is: “My information is that both the parties are regretting because in Srinagar they see they are getting a Mayor who is foreign educated; he is a young leader; if he emerges it will send jitters to these parties.”
Reacting to the these alleged comments as reported in a section of the media, NC dubbed the polls as an intelligence operation rather than election in Kashmir valley as the Governor has already named the mayor of Srinagar. Party spokesman Aga Rohullah told the media that the comments of Governor are a proof that these are managed elections and more of a selection. He claimed that such elections have no credibility as people do not know even the name of the candidate for whom they have to vote.
Talking to The Sunday Guardian, PDP spokesman Rafi Ahmad Mir said that their party has already expressed their doubts about the intentions of the Central government behind conducting the elections in the atmosphere prevailing in Kashmir. He too claimed that these elections have no credibility in the eyes of the public and it has eroded their faith in the democratic process.
State Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that the civic elections are not being conducted in a transparent manner. He asked the Raj Bhavan to explain how they know who would be the mayor of Srinagar. Another Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Monga told the media that the Governor has already announced the result by naming the mayor of Srinagar and so it is now selection and not election.
Meanwhile, Governor Malik met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and apprised him about the prevailing situation in Kashmir in the context of the ongoing civic body elections. Reports said that the Governor has taken up the issue of SPOs and other problems of J&K Police with the Union Home Ministry.
The Governor had recently said that he wanted to take up all the issues relating to promotions, better hike etc for the SPOs with Union Home Ministry and assured the top brass of J&K Police that he will address all their problems in the coming days.
Reports said that he has even submitted a comprehensive proposal to Union Home Ministry for the revamp of J&K Police and it will need a lot of money. The Union Home Minister has assured the Governor that the proposal would be considered at the earliest, the reports added.