CM Omar Slams LG for ‘Excessive Interference’
No Ultimatum, But Patience on Statehood Not Infinite: Omar Abdullah
ASIF RASHID
DEC, 18 DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accused Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha of excessive administrative interference, alleging that the LG’s office is functioning in parallel and undermining the authority of the elected government.
Addressing concerns over governance, Omar Abdullah said that while the Lieutenant Governor publicly maintains that his mandate is limited to law and order and the police, in practice he is intervening across multiple departments. “Power and tourism are under my charge, yet the LG is calling separate meetings of officers from these departments. This clearly reflects administrative overreach,” the Chief Minister said.
Omar further alleged that despite the presence of a democratically elected government, the LG continues to function as Chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University and the Islamic University of Science and Technology. He argued that appointments and key decisions in universities should be the responsibility of the elected government, not the Lok Bhavan previously known as Raj Bhawan.
Highlighting specific instances, the Chief Minister claimed that delays in clearing business files were a direct result of interference by the LG administration. He also pointed to the Information Department, stating that a JKAS post remains vacant while an IAS officer has been appointed there at the LG’s discretion, bypassing the elected government.
Describing the current arrangement, Omar Abdullah said the post of Chief Minister in a Union Territory has become “one of disempowerment,” with limited authority to deliver governance effectively. He added that relations with the Raj Bhavan are strained, even as ties with the Centre remain cordial.
On the issue of restoration of statehood, Omar Abdullah accused the Centre of lacking seriousness. He alleged that Jammu and Kashmir is being kept in a Union Territory framework until the BJP is politically positioned to form a government. “We are being misled in the name of ‘appropriate time’. There is no ultimatum, but our patience on statehood is not infinite,” he warned.
The Chief Minister demanded a clear and definitive timeline from the Centre for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, asserting that continued delay weakens democratic governance and public trust in the system.
