Days after Satya Pal Malik assumed charge as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, a video has emerged of BJP state president Ravinder Raina controversially claiming that the new governor is “their man” and that they did not want former governor NN Vohra to continue in the post.
“The governor who has come now is our man… We did not want Vohra to continue,” Mr Raina, who is known to be outspoken, can be heard saying in the video.
Governor is a constitutional post.
This is not the first controversial comment or act by Mr Raina, who is a legislator from Nowshera. In 2015, he allegedly assaulted Independent legislator Engineer Rashid for hosting a “beef party”.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under Governor’s Rule since June 20, after the BJP ended its coalition government with Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party or PDP, saying it was “untenable” to continue because of security concerns and rising terrorism.
71-year-old Satya Pal Malik, a former lawmaker and BJP’s national vice president, was sworn in as the 13th governor of Jammu and Kashmir last Thursday, ending the five-decade-long practice of retired bureaucrats being appointed to the post.
Mr Malik took over from NN Vohra, who was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir for the last 10 years. Mr Vohra was appointed by the Congress-led UPA government and after the BJP came to power, it continued with him. Even though his term ended on June 28, the centre had decided to extend his term until the Amarnath Yatra.
Mr Vohra was replaced amid differences with the centre over the formation of a new government in the state. Sources had told Kashmir Post in July that the centre and Mr Vohra did not see eye to eye on the formation of a new government in the state. The centre was keen on it, but Mr Vohra, who had handled the state four times between governments, was not, sources had then said.
