Just two days before Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled three-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir, a critical meeting of the ruling National Conference (NC) and its alliance partners took place on Friday. This meeting, convened at Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary’s residence in Gupkar, was chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah.
The gathering, attended by Cabinet ministers, NC MLAs, and Congress legislators led by chief whip Nizamuddin Bhat, addressed the escalating tensions between the Raj Bhavan (Lieutenant Governor’s office) and the six-month-old elected government.
The immediate trigger for this unscheduled meeting was Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s recent order transferring 48 officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS). The Abdullah government views this move as a violation of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, asserting that such transfers fall under the exclusive purview of the elected government.
NC MLA Hilal Akbar Lone, before the meeting, accused the Raj Bhavan of “undermining” the elected government, emphasizing the need to prevent future occurrences. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also written to Lieutenant Governor Sinha, demanding a review of the decision, highlighting that these actions erode the government’s authority.
Abdullah reportedly raised the issue with Home Minister Amit Shah, expressing concerns over the Lieutenant Governor’s actions. He has also instructed Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo to halt the transfer orders and ensure that all future transfers of non-All India Services officers require his prior approval.
The Congress party has voiced its support for the NC, with Gulam Ahmed Mir, Congress’ national general secretary and leader of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) in the J-K Assembly, criticizing Sinha’s decision and suggesting that he should have awaited the approval of business rules before proceeding with the transfers. Mir warned that such actions could “undermine confidence” in the administration.
This political standoff occurs amidst heightened security concerns, as Amit Shah’s visit, scheduled for April 6, aims to address the recent surge in terror activities in the Kathua district of the Jammu region. Security review meetings are planned in both Jammu and Srinagar during his three-day stay.
