The Governor said because of Eid, his staff was away and there was no one to man the fax machine.
Highlights
- Jammu & Kashmir Governor Malik has a "one-way fax machine": Omar Abdullah
- Mehbooba Mufti alleged that her fax to the Governor could not get through
- Governor Malik, however, faxed Jammu & Kashmir assembly dissolution order
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has a "one-way fax machine", Omar Abdullah said today, as the machine and its role in political developments in the state continued to draw comment on Thursday.
Omar Abdullah, the leader of the National Conference, remarked that there should be an investigation after Mehbooba Mufti alleged that her fax to the Governor's house, Raj Bhavan, could not get through. The letter claimed that her Peoples Democratic Party had the support of Omar Abdullah and the Congress to form government.
She finally tweeted out the letter, saying that "strangely, the fax is not received". But shortly afterwards, Governor Satya Pal Malik declared the state assembly dissolved. He faxed that order.
"It is a bizarre fax machine. Incoming fax doesn't reach them, but an outgoing fax can be sent. We can joke about it, but this should be investigated," Mr Abdullah said.
Sajad Lone, who also staked claim to power yesterday, confirmed that there was a problem with the machine, so he WhatsApped his claim to power.
"I called the governor and said that I am ready to stake the claim. He asked me to fax it, and there was a problem with the fax so we got in touch with his private secretary who asked us to WhatsApp it, we WhatsApped it," said Mr Lone, the chief of the two-legislator People's Conference.
The Governor said because of Eid yesterday, his staff was away and there was no one to man the fax machine.
"Fax is not an issue. Yesterday was Eid. Even my cook wasn't there, forget my fax operator. No one was there," Mr Malik told reporters.
Then who, wondered Mr Abdullah, typed out Governor Malik's letter ordering dissolution of the assembly?
"We also had Eid, there were people at our home...I hope the staff at Raj Bhawan pull up their socks, so the governor is not inconvenienced this way," the former chief minister quipped.
Ms Mufti had expressed similar views yesterday: "In today's age of technology, it is very strange that the fax machine at the Governor's residence didn't receive our fax but swiftly issued one regarding the assembly dissolution."
The mysterious ways of the Governor's fax machine inspired memes on Twitter.