Srinagar: ‘I am well within my domain’: LG Sinha on officers’ transfer
“I want to make it clear that the State Reorganisation Act, 2019, has been passed by Parliament. I haven’t done anything outside the domain of the Act. I know my boundaries and will never cross them,” lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha Sinha said
Hours after legislators from the National Conference (NC) and Congress urged lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha and the Centre to respect the people’s mandate, Sinha asserted that he has not acted beyond his authority. The row erupted over the recent transfer of 48 Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers — a move seen by many as undermining the authority of the elected government.
“I want to make it clear that the State Reorganisation Act, 2019, has been passed by Parliament. I haven’t done anything outside the domain of the Act,” Sinha said. “I know my boundaries and will never cross them,” he added.
In a joint meeting, NC and Congress legislators passed a resolution asking New Delhi and the lieutenant governor to respect the democratic mandate of Jammu and Kashmir. The transfers are seen as the first serious confrontation between Sinha and chief minister Omar Abdullah, who had previously maintained cordial relations with both the lieutenant governor and the Centre.
BJP defends LG’s move, calls it routine
Defending the transfer of 48 middle-rung JKAS officers by lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma on Friday hit out at the National Conference (NC) government for questioning the move. Sharma said the transfers were routine and conducted within the LG’s legal jurisdiction. Responding to chief minister Omar Abdullah’s criticism, he said, “Sinha has acted within his jurisdiction and followed the law.” He further accused the NC of treating Jammu and Kashmir as its “personal property” for decades, adding that the region is now a Union Territory and must be governed accordingly.
