Srinagar: The meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in New Delhi on Monday has stoked controversy in the Union Territory after unconfirmed reports alluded it to an upcoming political fixing between the ruling National Conference (NC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Chief Minister met the Home Minister in New Delhi, with the discussions ranging from statehood to security, the upcoming Budget session of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly in March, and the business rules.
The rules, expected to be approved by the Home Minister, aim to delineate the powers of the elected government and the Raj Bhawan, ending ongoing friction over authority. The Lieutenant Governor currently controls the transfer of All India Service officers, Anti-Corruption Bureau, prosecution, and prisons.
Additionally, Abdullah raised concerns over the deaths of two civilians, including an alleged custodial torture, of a civilian, that led to suicide in Jammu’s Kathua district and the killing of a civilian driver in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The deaths of the duo Makhan Din from Jammu’s Billawar and Waseem Ahmad Malla of Sopore sparked outrage, prompting the government to order separate magisterial inquiries.
Amid this, the government found itself at the centre of controversy after a news report claimed that the ruling NC President Farooq Abdullah was in talks with the Centre in New Delhi, hinting at a new political shift in the offing. With the report gaining traction on social media, it drew mixed reactions, forcing the ruling party to dismiss it as mere "propaganda".
"Dr Farooq Abdullah sahib has not been in Delhi for the past four days meeting BJP leaders," rebutted NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq. He clarified that the former chief minister was in Mumbai and only transited briefly through Delhi. He said the Chief Minister does not need any arrangement for meeting the Home Minister; he can meet the top union minister anytime for the development of Jammu and Kashmir.
"We contested against BJP and we are still against their policies, including the 2019 (abrogation of Article 370) decision, and their stance against the people of Jammu & Kashmir," the NC leader added. According to him, the Union Territory has a "working relationship" with the Centre, and such an arrangement will continue.
"But BJP and NC will not sit in a single office. However, if there is some work to be done for the benefit of the people, the Chief Minister can meet the Prime Minister, Home Minister, or any other (union) minister. But we will not change our core agenda. People support our manifesto and our agenda," Sadiq said.
He also dismissed the reports that senior Abdullah facilitated the meeting between the Home Minister and the Chief Minister, saying there was no need for interlocutors and such meetings would continue to happen for the larger governance.
"As for the laughable claim that Dr Sahib was paving the way for a meeting between the Chief Minister and the Home Minister—the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir does not need anyone to arrange such meetings. These meetings have happened in the past few months and will continue at regular intervals as is routine in governance," he added.
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