Updated:2024-12-13 02:53    Views:150

Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah | | Photo: PTI Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah | | Photo: PTI

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reiterated his call on Monday for the central government to fulfill its long-standing promise to restore full statehood to the region.

Speaking to the media outside the Chamber House, he stressed the importance of statehood for J&K and cited multiple public assurances given by the Centre.

"We want statehood. It is a commitment made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, not just once, but several times. This promise was made publicly, in Parliament as well as in the Supreme Court. It has been repeatedly assured that full statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir," Abdullah said, as reported by PTI.

He further said, “It is the right of Jammu and Kashmir to have its own state government. People have elected a government, and it must be allowed to function independently.”

This statement comes in the wake of growing tensions between the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led dispensation in the Centre, particularly with the lieutenant governor (LG), Manoj Sinha. The discord between the two sides escalated after the resignation of Jammu and Kashmir’s Advocate General D.C. Raina in October, which was later rejected by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Raina, who was appointed when Satya Pal Malik was the LG, resigned shortly after Abdullah took office. However, the CMO requested Raina to continue serving in his role. The LG office opposed the CMO's decision. It seemed to have further deepened the divide between the union territory and New Delhi.

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"We are going to take up the issue of restoration of statehood with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah now that they have time after the elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand," Abdullah said, emphasised his intent to pursue the matter directly with the top leadership.

The tensions between Abdullah’s administration and the Centre are also over the controversial amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019 just before the elections took place in the erstwhile state.

The amendment, which empowers the LG to appoint the advocate general and other law officers, was approved in July 2024. This change handed the LG control over crucial sectors such as law and order, the higher bureaucracy and other security-related departments.

The National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had slammed the move and called it an attempt by the Centre to bypass the elected government and consolidate power in the hands of the LG.

“The amendment is seen as a desperate move by the BJP to disempower the elected government,” Abdullah had said at that time. He had also expressed concern over the central government's growing influence on Jammu and Kashmir’s governance.

While the new business rules granted the LG the power to transfer Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, the postings of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers were still within the purview of the CM’s office. However, a recent transfer of a JKAS officer by the LG’s office added fuel to the fire.

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However, the centre maintained a different stand . Union Home Ministry sources told IANS that there is no "absolute power" vested in either the LG or the CM. They added that the new business rules were being “vetted” and would be notified soon to clarify jurisdictional conflicts.

"In a nutshell, as long as J&K remains a UT, the members of the council of ministers must understand the limitations put by the Constitution on their right to freely exercise powers when these come into conflict with those vested by the Constitution in the office of the Lieutenant Governor," the MHA sources explained to the news agency.

This ongoing rift between the elected government and the appointed Lieutenant Governor reflects the larger power struggle that has defined Jammu and Kashmir’s governance since it was restructured into a Union Territory in 2019.

As tensions rise, the future remains uncertain, with the question of statehood looming large over the political discourse.

Meanwhile, the Omar Abdullah-led NC government is facing significant challenges, as growing discontent rises among the general category population over the region's reservation policy. The policy, implemented earlier this year by the then LG-led administration, had increased reservations for jobs, NEET and postgraduate courses.

It had reduced the open merit pool from around 60% before the abrogation of Article 370 to below 40%.

Three petitions have been filed in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court challenging the policy. Among the petitioners is Political Science Professor Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, who - as reported by the Hindustan Times, argues that the 2024 amendment disproportionately reduces the share of the general category to just 30% despite the fact that they constitute over 70% of the union territory's population.

Bhat claimed the policy violates his right to fair recruitment, promotion and education and warned it could lead to the hiring of less qualified individuals that would adversely affect key sectors like healthcare, education and the judiciary.

Former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu also filed a petition citing "disparity" against the general category. Political leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti, have been pressuring the government to address the issue.

The NCgame ape, despite promising a reevaluation of the policy in its election manifesto, now finds itself in a difficult position. It has to navigate political and legal pressure over this contentious issue.

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