Home Ministry Rejects Allegations of Disempowering Next J&K Government, Calls Omar’s Tweet Speculative
JAMMU, Oct 4: The Union Home Ministry today emphatically denied allegations suggesting any move to reduce the powers of the soon-to-be-elected Chief Minister or the next elected government in Jammu and Kashmir. In a firm rebuttal, the Ministry stated that there is “not even an iota of truth” to these claims. This strong response followed a post by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on social media, where he urged bureaucrats in the Union Territory to resist any pressure that could “further disempower” the incoming government.
Omar Abdullah’s remarks shared on X (formerly Twitter), implied that the administration was making moves to weaken the authority of the future government in Jammu and Kashmir. He suggested that the chief secretary had been tasked with modifying the transaction of business rules to curtail the powers of the Chief Minister and transfer them to the Lieutenant Governor, claiming that the BJP had “clearly accepted defeat” in the region.
Responding to these allegations, the Home Minister’s Office (HMO) posted on X, calling Abdullah’s claims “misleading and speculative.” The statement further clarified, “There is absolutely no such proposal in consideration,” reiterating the government’s commitment to a fair and democratic electoral process.
The HMO also referenced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019, passed by the Indian Parliament, which includes provisions for notifying the transaction of business rules. These rules, the Ministry emphasized, were already notified in 2020, dismissing any suggestion of recent changes aimed at limiting the powers of the future elected government.
The Home Ministry also highlighted the widespread support in Jammu and Kashmir for the democratic process, pointing to the enthusiastic participation of citizens in the electoral process. The statement underscored the government’s dedication to upholding democracy and empowering the elected representatives of the people.
In his original post, Abdullah had claimed that he had obtained the information from within the administration’s secretariat and advised officials to resist any attempts to diminish the incoming government’s powers. However, the Union Home Ministry has made it clear that these claims are baseless and do not reflect any ongoing plans or proposals concerning governance in the region.
The BJP has clearly accepted defeat in J&K. Why else would the Chief secretary be assigned the duty to change transaction of business rules of the government to curtail the powers of the Chief minister / elected government and assign the same to the LG? This information has come…
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 4, 2024
