BJP pulls out of alliance with PDP LIVE UPDATES: Minutes after the announcement was made, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti handed her resignation to Governor N N Vohra. (Source: Prem Nath Pandey)
The Bharatiya Janata Party pulled out of its alliance with the People’s Democratic Party in Jammu-Kashmir on Tuesday, three years after the two parties came together following a hung verdict in 2014. The decision to end the alliance came on the day J&K BJP ministers arrived in New Delhi to meet party president Amit Shah. Minutes after the announcement was made, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti handed her resignation to Governor NN Vohra.
Addressing a press conference, the party’s J&K in-charge, Ram Madhav, said it has become untenable for the BJP to continue in this government. “After taking stock of the situation in the state, the central government and central party is of the view that we should leave the government,” he said.
On the issue of Ramzan ceasefire, Madhav said it was not reciprocated by separatists or militants. “Keeping national interest in mind and that Kashmir is an integral part of India, we have to say it is time that the reins of power in the state be handed over to the governor,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah met Governor N N Vohra and said his party doesn’t have the mandate to form the government.
After concluding his consultations with all the major Political Parties in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor NN Vohra has forwarded his report to the President of India for the imposition of Governor’s Rule under Section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.
Hope that muscular, militaristic policy does not come back under guise of governor's rule in J&K: Congress leader P Chidambaram.
"Such coalition should not have happened. These two parties have no similarities. They coming together was an opportunistic move to be in power," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said.
NCP's Nawab Malik said the BJP cannot absolve itself from the prevailing situation in Kashmir. "The party is equally responsible for the conditions prevailing in the border state," he said.
"The four-year-old BJP rule at the Centre and the three-year-old coalition of the BJP and PDP in J&K has been an utter failure. The BJP's decision to pull out (of the coalition government in J&K) is a bid to save itself from the governance failures of the last three years," alleged NCP national spokesman Nawab Malik.
Local leadership, Deputy CM (of J&K) & state ministers were taken into confidence, in the interest of the country & J&K BJP took this step & BJP will continue to do whatever is necessary for benefit of the state: UP CM Yogi Adityanath
It took you 3.5 years and sacrifice of around 600 soldiers to realise that you should take back your support in Jammu and Kashmir. When you know how that govt functions, how could you even support them for so long: Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena on BJP calling off alliance with PDP
NSA Ajit Doval & Special Secretary (Internal Security) Rina Mitra leave from Home Minister Rajnath Singh's residence after a high-level meeting.
I submitted my resignation to Governor N N Vohra and told him we are not exploring any other alliance, says Mehbooba Mufti
We tried to keep Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh united. PDP activists had to face a lot of troubles but they firmly stood by us. This alliance had a bigger motive- unilateral ceasefire, PM's visit to Pakistan, withdrawal of cases against 11,000 youth: Mufti
Muscular policy will not work in J&K, can't treat it as enemy territory... I am not shocked (at BJP's decision). This alliance wasn't formed for power. Thought alliance would benefit J&K: Mufti
The basic tenets of the alliance were confidence-building measures...We have taken many measures to improve the situation in the state. Got Centre to announce unilateral ceasefire: Mufti
I have sent my resignation to the Governor. It took us many months to form an alliance whose prime focus was reconciliation and dialogue: Mufti
Mehbooba Mufti to shortly address the media in Srinagar.
Meeting between Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Home Secretary and Joint Secretary of Jammu-Kashmir and other officers is currently underway in New Delhi.
As far as I am concerned it is Governor Vohra who will be running the administration. I trust the wisdom of Governor Vohra that he would put the people's interests first: Omar Abdullah.
I can't speculate over what happened. Can't speculate whether Sujaat Bhukari's killing was the final straw that broke the camel's back. Can't speculate whether it was Ramzan ceasefire...She (Mufti) chose to be dismissed rather than leave with dignity intact: Omar Abdullah
People must be given a chance to elect a government. Decision is up to the Governor whether to seek early election or keep govt suspended: Omar Abdullah.
If the situation has reached the point where it has today...where we are working under this shadow of fear, then both parties are responsible for it. We are not celebrating this. No party will ever celebrate the imposition of Governor's rule: Omar Abdullah
Only BJP can answer the question what compelled them to sever ties. Not shocked by their decision but the timing has taken me by surprise, We have seen the situation deteriorating in the sate... Whether the PDP is embarrassed or not I cannot say. I don't expect the BJP to have taken us into confidence. Least they could have done was taken the PDP into confidence: Omar Abdullah.
Former J&K CM Omar Abdullah says there's no option except Governor's rule
We don't have the mandate to form the government. No one has approached us and neither are we approaching anyone. I told the Governor we don't have the mandate. He has no choice but to impose Governor rule: Omar Abdullah.
The former chief minister has reportedly met with the state's governor N N Vohra and is expected to address the media shortly.
The Indian Express's Liz Matthew tweets that by exiting, the BJP gets a chance to blame everything wrong in Jammu and Kashmir on the PDPOnce again @BJP4India proved that it is much ahead of any other party in political strategies. Walking out of alliance, it has given itself a chance to blame PDP govt for so many things that went wrong.— Liz Mathew (@MathewLiz) June 19, 2018
J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was in the civil secretariat when the BJP announced their decision to pull out of the state government.
National Conference chief Omar Abdullah is on his way to meet Jammu-Kashmir Governor N N Vohra. He will address a press conference at 4 pm. This will be followed by a press conference by the PDP at 5 pm.
This came as a shock, but it was not surprising. It was not unexpected. There were certain contentious issues between the two parties...The PDP legislators will discuss the issue at the party meeting at 4 pm: PDP spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir.
This alliance was anti-national and unnatural. Our party chief had said this alliance won't work out. Had they continued with it they would have had to answer in 2019 Lok Sabha election: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut.
The regional parties should have been left to themselves to form a government. They should have been allowed to select their own partner. The BJP did not allow this. The alliance devastated the state. Maximum number of ceasefire violations and max number of civilians were killed in these three years. The BJP exited after finishing the state physically and economically. The first criminal in this entire episode is the government of India: Azad
When the BJP has formed the government in J&K, we had told the PM that it will be a Himalayan mistake. We have been proven right: Leader of Oppositon in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hands in her resignation minutes after the BJP pulled out of the state government.
After the killing of Shujaat Bukhari in Srinagar, there was no question of suspending anti-terror operations.... The state must be put under Governor's rule. Once situation is restored to normalcy, then we can take the political process forward: Ram Madhav.
PDP legislators to meet shortly.
Here is the current composition of the J&K Assembly which has 87 seats: PDP- 28, BJP- 25, NC-15, INC-12, J&K people's conference-2, CPI-1, others-4.
We granted ceasefire from a position of strength, remember that. They (militants) are not willing to even honour that...We have been successful in battling terrorism in the state. But political parties have a responsibility to prevent radicalisation and develop the state. We didn't see that: Ram Madhav
Not losing any ground, we have done a lot of good work for the people. Not only Jammu and Ladakh but for the whole state. The issues we mentioned are different: Ram Madhav
We have submitted our resignations to CM Mufti. We have now come out of the J&K govt: Dy CM Kavinder Gupta. After taking stock of the situation in the state, the central government and central party is of the view that we should leave the government, Ram Madhav adds.
We had hoped separatist forces would cooperate in the Ramzan ceasefire. Separatists and militants did not reciprocate: Ram Madhav.
Taking into account, the sovereignty and integrity of the country we have decided to part ways with the PDP. Governor's rule should be imposed in Jammu and Kashmir. It is time that the reins of power in the state be handed over to the governor, says Ram Madhav.
Ram Madhav: There were two major objectives when we joined the alliance - peace and progress in the state. Terrorism and radicalisation is on the rise in the state. The murder of editor Shujaat Bukhari shows even press freedom is in danger. It has become untenable for BJP to continue in the alliance govt in JK.
Ram Madhav: In the last three years, the Centre, under the leadership of PM Modi, has actively assisted the state government. A 80,000 crore package was also announced and most of it has been disbursed.
BJP leader Ram Madhav is addressing a press conference in New Delhi. On today's meeting with BJP president Amit Shah, he said : Today we had a special meeting for which our leaders were called and we discussed the situation in the state. We discussed the situation in J&K, and how much we've achieved since forming the government in the state. We have decided that it is not possible for the BJP to continue in the alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir.