By IANS,
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chairman Bhim Singh Sunday alleged that National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan had threatened him of dire consequences if his party did not support the Congress government in the trust vote Monday. The official, however, refuted the charge.
Bhim Singh said Narayanan had called him Saturday evening and demanded that his party’s four MLAs vote for the government or he would be “shut out of Delhi and Srinagar and the security cover would be withdrawn”.
While there was no reaction from the government on the charge, Narayanan in New Delhi rubbished the accusation.
The assembly is to take up the vote of confidence Monday with Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad facing a challenge to muster the numbers.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) withdrew from the Congress-led ruling coalition last month, following their differences over the land transfer to the Amarnath shrine authorities.
The assembly has 87 elected members and two nominated members. Of the elected members, the National Conference has 24, the Congress 21, the PDP 17, Panthers’ Party 4, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) 2, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 1, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 1, Jammu Mukti Morcha 1, and 16 members are Independents.
Of the two nominated members, one belongs to the Congress and the other to the PDP.