SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Friday charged the National Conference govt with using the absence of statehood as an excuse for not doing its work, prompting chief Abdullah Omar Abdullah to hit back, asking him to “focus on his own work” while referencing the Pahalgam terror attack .
With NC, especially CM Omar, repeatedly raising the pitch for restoration of statehood in recent days, the LG chose J&K’s foundation day to advise him to focus on executing development work instead. “This excuse that projects will get executed only after statehood is restored will not work,” Sinha said at a function held to mark the occasion. “When the assembly elections were announced, everyone knew that polling would be held for the UT assembly.”
“Even without statehood, all powers rest with the govt. I want to emphasise today that people should not be fooled, and the govt should use its powers to work for the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
The LG stated that when the central govt declared J&K a UT, the Union home minister clearly stated in Parliament that the first step would be the delimitation of constituencies, followed by elections, and that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time. However, some people seemed to have problems now, he said without naming anyone.
Stung by Sinha’s remarks, NC president Farooq Abdullah accused him of lying about the elected govt having “all the powers”. “He has never spoken the truth. There is total control (of the LG over administration). The IPS and the IAS are under him. He has not passed back a single file forwarded to him. He is lying. He lies every day,” Farooq said.
CM Omar was equally scathing in his comeback, reminding Sinha that the Pahalgam attack had happened under his watch since law and order and security were under the LG’s jurisdiction. “Twenty-six of our guests were killed, and he is advising us to do our work. We know our work, you do yours,” an angry Omar retorted. “I remained CM for six years (earlier)… show me one instance where a tourist was hurt,” he added.
Asserting that his govt would continue to raise the issue of statehood, Omar said: “We will talk about the promises made to us in the Supreme Court and Parliament. Why do they fear statehood? Why don’t they want to leave power?”
Omar said all parties, including BJP, sought votes in the assembly elections by promising that statehood would be restored after the polls. “And today, you are telling people to wait more… how long?” he asked.
“They keep saying it will happen at an ‘appropriate time’. Tell me, what is an appropriate time? They should define what that time is so we can prepare for that accordingly,” the CM said.
Omar also targeted Sinha on the development front, saying no development had taken place in J&K in the past six years.
Sacking of govt employees linked to terror to continue: LG
LG Manoj Sinha on Friday said the termination of govt employees involved in terror activities would continue “till we completely wipe out the terror ecosystem”.
Reacting to this, CM Omar Abdullah said: “He is removing govt employees. People’s businesses are being locked on his orders; they are being pushed out of their homes.” A day earlier, Omar had said the issue should be left to the courts.
Former chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti termed the removal of employees from services on charges of terror links as “a wider agenda to disempower Muslims, especially Kashmiris”.
With NC, especially CM Omar, repeatedly raising the pitch for restoration of statehood in recent days, the LG chose J&K’s foundation day to advise him to focus on executing development work instead. “This excuse that projects will get executed only after statehood is restored will not work,” Sinha said at a function held to mark the occasion. “When the assembly elections were announced, everyone knew that polling would be held for the UT assembly.”
“Even without statehood, all powers rest with the govt. I want to emphasise today that people should not be fooled, and the govt should use its powers to work for the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
The LG stated that when the central govt declared J&K a UT, the Union home minister clearly stated in Parliament that the first step would be the delimitation of constituencies, followed by elections, and that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time. However, some people seemed to have problems now, he said without naming anyone.
Stung by Sinha’s remarks, NC president Farooq Abdullah accused him of lying about the elected govt having “all the powers”. “He has never spoken the truth. There is total control (of the LG over administration). The IPS and the IAS are under him. He has not passed back a single file forwarded to him. He is lying. He lies every day,” Farooq said.
CM Omar was equally scathing in his comeback, reminding Sinha that the Pahalgam attack had happened under his watch since law and order and security were under the LG’s jurisdiction. “Twenty-six of our guests were killed, and he is advising us to do our work. We know our work, you do yours,” an angry Omar retorted. “I remained CM for six years (earlier)… show me one instance where a tourist was hurt,” he added.
Asserting that his govt would continue to raise the issue of statehood, Omar said: “We will talk about the promises made to us in the Supreme Court and Parliament. Why do they fear statehood? Why don’t they want to leave power?”
Omar said all parties, including BJP, sought votes in the assembly elections by promising that statehood would be restored after the polls. “And today, you are telling people to wait more… how long?” he asked.
“They keep saying it will happen at an ‘appropriate time’. Tell me, what is an appropriate time? They should define what that time is so we can prepare for that accordingly,” the CM said.
Omar also targeted Sinha on the development front, saying no development had taken place in J&K in the past six years.
Sacking of govt employees linked to terror to continue: LG
LG Manoj Sinha on Friday said the termination of govt employees involved in terror activities would continue “till we completely wipe out the terror ecosystem”.
Reacting to this, CM Omar Abdullah said: “He is removing govt employees. People’s businesses are being locked on his orders; they are being pushed out of their homes.” A day earlier, Omar had said the issue should be left to the courts.
Former chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti termed the removal of employees from services on charges of terror links as “a wider agenda to disempower Muslims, especially Kashmiris”.
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