Jammu, 30 July 2026: Betraying J&K’s sportspersons, the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government, has led to the complete collapse of Sports Ministry and Sports Department, said BJP.
J&K BJP Spokesperson Adv. Parimoksh Seth stated this while he addressed a press conference at the party headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, in the presence of J&K BJP Media Incharge Dr. Pardeep Mahotra and SC Morcha President Dharminder Kumar.
Addressing the media, Adv. Seth said that under Omar Abdullah’s government, every department is in shambles, with the Sports Department becoming a glaring example of mismanagement, favouritism and administrative failure. He alleged that sportspersons across Jammu & Kashmir have completely lost faith in the Sports Ministry, as the Sports Minister has failed to discharge his responsibilities and has virtually disappeared from public accountability.
“The Sports Minister has lost control over his department and has failed to safeguard the interests of genuine athletes. Having lost the confidence of the sporting fraternity, he has no moral right to continue in office and must immediately resign,” Seth said.
He pointed out serious fraud and manipulation in the recently issued list of Outstanding Sportspersons under SO-12, claiming that deserving athletes who won medals in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Para Olympics and other recognized international events were deliberately ignored. Instead, preference was allegedly given to individuals from sporting disciplines that are not recognized in these premier international competitions.
Questioning the fairness of the selection process, Adv. Seth asked how four out of five gazetted appointments were made from a single sporting discipline and how 72 beneficiaries belonged to one Assembly constituency, alleging that these glaring irregularities point towards favouritism and a well-planned conspiracy to deny deserving sportspersons their rightful opportunities.
He also questioned the Omar Abdullah government over the non-release of salary and other legitimate service benefits to an international-level woman player and coach, terming it another example of the government’s anti-sportsperson approach.
Holding the Chief Minister accountable for the prevailing situation, Adv. Seth said the government owes answers to the youth and sporting community of Jammu & Kashmir.
“BJP demands immediate scrapping of the existing SO-12 list and preparation of a fresh, transparent, merit-based list through an impartial process. The party also demands a high-level independent inquiry into the irregularities, fixing responsibility on every official and individual involved in manipulating the selection process and ensuring strict legal action against the guilty. Government must disclose the complete selection criteria, marks, evaluation records and reasons for exclusion of deserving candidates”, he said.
Adv. Seth said the BJP stands firmly with every genuine sportsperson of Jammu & Kashmir and will continue its fight until justice is delivered, the guilty are punished, and the dignity of deserving athletes is restored.