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Governor's rule imposed in Jammu and Kashmir

Mukhtar Ahmad and Basharat Peer in Srinagar and Onkar Singh in Delhi

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Girish Chandra Saxena on Thursday night imposed governor's rule in the state after the Jammu and Kashmir caretaker Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah refused to continue despite a request from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani.

The governor's rule, under Article 92 of the Jammu and Kashmir constitution of 1957, took effect from midnight. Article 92 of the J&K constitution is equivalent to Article 356 of the Indian constitution, which provides for President's rule to be imposed on states under certain conditions.

Abdullah had earlier met Saxena during the day and told him that it would be difficult for him to continue as caretaker chief minister. "I have no moral right to stay in power after midnight tonight," he had told the governor.

Vajpayee and Advani had then requested Abdullah to continue as chief minister, following which the caretaker chief minister met top state and party officials to discuss the situation. At the end of the meeting Abdullah decided to stick to his position of not continuing as caretaker chief minister.

Abdullah's decision resulted in a constitutional crisis leaving Saxena with no option but to impose governor's rule.

Senior Congress party leaders, including Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, discussed the situation arising out the imposition of the governor's rule.

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Saifuddin Soz said it was 'unfortunate' that governor's rule had to be imposed on the state. "But governor's rule could have a four-day life at the most if the PDP so decides." But Azad said the rule could extend from 'two days to a month's time'. He said the governor told him the rule would be revoked when 'a party or a group of parties stake a claim to form a government'.

Azad will meet the PDP chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Friday.

Soz said the expectations from the PDP were that 'it would decide to participate in the coalition government'.

Congress party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy came down heavily on caretaker Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, alleging he wanted the people of the state 'punished' for having rejected him in the polls.

"His action is unsporting and he is a bad loser," Reddy said.

He, however, made it clear that the development would not make any difference to Congress plans for formation of a stable and responsive government in the state 'as early as possible'.

Reacting to the imposition, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, the Communist Party of India-Marxist state chief and the head of the newly formed People's Democratic Forum, said, "Vested interests from New Delhi to Srinagar have dealt a blow to the people of India and Jammu and Kashmir."

Ghulam Mohammed Sofi, the convenor of the PDF, echoing Tarigami said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been 'tricked'.

The four-member Jammu and Kashmir National Panther's Party termed the imposition of governor's rule as a 'massacre of peoples' mandate'.

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