Click to play videoJammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra has said there was no truth in the allegations levelled by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) about the alleged involvement of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the Srinagar sex scandal.
Vohra turned down Omar's offer to quit saying there was no basis for him to resign going by the information supplied by the Union Home Ministry.
Omar had tendered his resignation on Tuesday after PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the Chief Minister's name figured on the 2006 sex scandal list.
CNN-IBN: The Governor has rejected the allegations. But many are not convinced how this issue has played put. Many allege you gave out a half-hearted resignation letter and then 48 hours later you are back? Many say it was stage managed.
Omar Abdullah: How can you stage manage what evidence, what facts the Governor will come back with? You can't possibly expect me to resign if there is no basis to the allegation levelled against me in the Assembly. My resignation would only be valid if there was any basis to the allegation. The Governor took 48 hours during which he consulted with the Home Minister, he consulted with the CBI, he consulted with every body who had to do anything with this case and found that there was no basis to the allegation. he rejected them and that was the end of the matter.
CNN-IBN: There has been very little business conducted in the Assembly. Do you think all that has happened - the allegations, you resignation - was avoidable? Has the situation in Jammu and Kashmir become very polarised between the two parties so that real business can't be conducted on the floor of the house?
Omar Abdullah: Real business will be conducted. It is a fact that it takes two to tango. But as far as the coalition is concerned and I speak as the leader of that coalition, we will do everything possible to ensure that real business is transacted in the Assembly. The people of Jammu and Kashmir haven't sent us to the Assembly to sling mud at each other. Sixty to 70 per cent of the people turned out in November- December and participated in the elections that very few people had much from. I think what we have been doing in the Assembly over the last three days ahs been a mockery of the mandate that the people gave us. As far as this whole situation is concerned we will do every thing possible to ensure that real business is transacted in the Assembly. Obviously we will hope for some sort of cooperation from the Opposition but even if that is not forthcoming we will still do every thing to ensure that he Assembly transacts real business. I can only speak for the coalition and say we are not going to be involved in this sort of rubbish that has been going on.
CNN-IBN: We saw a recharged Muzaffar Hussain Baig on CNN-IBN. He said he wished you well and hoped that you would be exonerated. Are we going to see some sort of reach out from you because as you pointed that there are many important discussion hanging fire from the Shopian tragedy to the state's own administration problems... government employees on strike and then the Budget that you have to present before the Assembly next month.
Omar Abdullah: Over the last 48 hours I have had absolutely nothing to say about the PDP, about Muzaffar Hussain Baig or about any body who has been involved in this sordid drama. As far as I am concerned I am looking forward to getting on with the business of governing and that's it. As far as any approaches or any thing of that sort we have a week off from the Assembly for various reasons. So wait till Friday and let's see what happens then.
CNN-IBN: Let's go two days back. Political discourse has got so low in India that perhaps nothing surprises us but many felt that when they saw your pictures in Assembly and felt that you acted a little too emotionally. The PDP perhaps got to your goat.
Omar Abdullah: Well the problem with politics in India is that we have divorced it from emotion. Politicians now react as robots and measure every thing in political terms, which is precisely why people have such a low opinion about politicians because we don't react the way a normal human being would expect us to react. I think it is high time that politicians start reacting like human beings so that the average Indian on the streets actually strikes a cord with us rather that thinking that we are a class apart who don't know how to react the way every body else does. I am much happier being called immature and knowing that the general population in the state and perhaps even in the country has been very welcoming of the decision that I took in the Assembly. I would have been a lot more disappointed if the people outside had been disappointed. But every body said wow what a political master stroke. Well that was certainly not my intention.
CNN-IBN: You used the word immature. Many of your critics have used that to describe not only what you did on the floor of the house but also your handling of certain incidents particularly Shopian rape and murder and the investigation that followed. When you look at the pictures of what happened on the floor of the Assembly do you regret what happened... perhaps that you hadn't taken such a drastic step then?
Omar Abdullah: No absolutely not. I wouldn't change a thing. Forty eight hours later if I was told to redo things I wouldn't change a thing. It's unfortunate that my age is being used against me. I reacted the way I did. It has nothing to do with my age. It is just the way I am. I think that's the way it should be. People tend to forget that I am not new to politics. I have 11 years in Parliament, three years as minister in the Government of India. I have a lot more experience than a lot of other people who have come into the position of chief minister when they first entered office. But because I am all of 39 years old people automatically assume that I am immature. Yes, in Shopian a mistake was made. But every body is entitled one mistake regardless of what their age is. Where does it say that you have to 45 and below to make mistakes but the moment you cross 45 then you will be automatically forgiven every mistake that you make.
CNN-IBN: Omar Abdullah thank you very much for joining India@9.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.