Srinagar, April 17: Even though the BJP high command has taken serious note of alleged cross-voting by seven party legislators during Legislative Council polls in favour of NC-Cong alliance on April 13 in Jammu and Kashmir but in contrast the State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah continues to live in denial mode. He is not even ready to lend his ears to hear smear campaign that ‘spin doctors’ of the Government indulged in ‘horse-trading’ of legislators and allegedly purchased votes.
Since the day of voting the Chief Minister is maintaining stoic silence over the issue and not divulging much details vis-a-vis how the coalition Government garnered 60 votes especially when their own strength in the House of 89 members was 52 only.
Instead of solving the string of puzzles and answering pointed questions, Omar on Saturday threw up an open challenge to the media to go ahead and register an FIR if they too possess any concrete proof related to money transactions in lieu of crucial votes.
Interacting with mediapersons after attending a function in the central hall of the State Legislature Omar responded to the allegations of role of money, “You first show where and how money was paid. Cases are never registered on the basis of half-cooked rumours spread in media, we need real concrete evidence to register an FIR”.
He said, “It is only media which is talking about cross-voting. Remember even inside the Parliament currency notes were produced and members had alleged that an attempt was made to purchase their votes but here not a single MLA has alleged that. Only media is raising the issue of cross-voting. We do not have any proof to register a case if you have any proof you can book the case.”
Omar had also commented on the issue in Srinagar on Friday where he had stated, “This is an issue of the BJP and they have to solve it themselves. The victory of coalition candidates was a fair one and there is nothing fishy about it”.
He said,the respective parties had issued whip to their legislators whom to vote for during the Legislative elections adding if a legislator didn’t follow the party whip it is the problem of that particular legislator and the party he or she belongs to.
Soon after the victory of the alliance candidates in the Legislative Council polls, allegations had surfaced of mass money transactions behind the scenes. Next day Jammu witnessed street protests from various Jammu-based political parties and even die-hard BJP party workers who were unhappy with the role of seven BJP legislators.
Chief of Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray group Ashok Gupta had even alleged that legislators were purchased for Rs 5 crore to secure their votes. Prominent State BJP leaders however, avoided making any direct allegation but favoured stern action against the party legislators who allegedly cross-voted in support of the alliance candidates.
–Agencies–