Practice of misusing Raj Bhavans has not ended: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Dec 18: Amid uproar over political developments in Arunachal Pradesh, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the practice of "misusing Raj Bhavans" to overthrow elected governments has not ended in the country.

"I thought the practice of misusing Raj Bhavans to overthrow legitimately elected governments was a thing of the past, sadly not!" Omar wrote on Twitter.

He was referring to bizarre turn of events in Arunachal Pradesh, where opposition BJP and rebel Congress MLAs yesterday got together in a local hotel to "vote out" Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and to "elect" a rebel Congress MLA in his place.

Omar, who is working president of the National Conference, said Jammu and Kashmir paid a very high price for the "machinations" of the Governor in 1984 and expressed hope that Arunachal Pradesh does not face similar fall out of the present developments.

"J&K has paid a very high price for the machinations of the Governor in 1984. Let's hope developments in Arunachal don't have similar fallout," he added.

National Conference President and the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was dismissed from office by then Governor Jagmohan on July 2, 1984 following a defection in his own party led by his brother-in-law Ghulam Mohammad Shah.

Shah went on the become the Chief Minister with the help of National Conference rebels and Congress.

PTI