‘People deserve better than a powerless CM’: Omar Abdullah reacts to amendments in J&K Reorganisation Act

Through amendments in the act, the government has given more powers to the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory.

Jammu and Kashmir deserves better than a ‘powerless’ chief minister, ex-CM Omar Abullah said on Saturday, after the central government amended the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, giving more powers to the Lieutenant Governor of the Union territory (UT) through the amendments.

NC vice-president and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah (File)

The Union home ministry's move to amend the Transaction of Business (ToB) rules is yet another indication that assembly elections in the erstwhile state, which became a UT in October 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370 in August that year, are ‘around the corner," the National Conference (NC) vice-president remarked.

“Another indication that elections are around the corner in J&K. This is why a firm commitment laying out the timeline of restoration of full, undiluted statehood for J&K is a prerequisite for these elections. The people deserve better than a powerless, rubber stamp CM who will have to beg the LG for to get his/her peon appointed,” Abdullah posted on X (formerly Twitter).

In December last year, the Supreme Court upheld abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to the region. The apex court also directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct assembly polls in the UT by September 30, 2024.

The previous assembly elections in J&K were held nearly a decade ago, in December 2014, and the former state has been without a government or chief minister since June 2018, when the coalition government run by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), collapsed. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti was the CM in the alliance government.

What amendment has been made to the J&K Reorganisation Act?

A sub-rule has been inserted in rule 5, and follows sub-rule (2). The sub-rule (2A) states that: “No proposal which requires previous concurrence of the Finance Department with regard to ‘Police’, ‘Public Order’, ‘All India Service’ and ‘Anti Corruption Bureau’ to exercise the discretion of the Lieutenant Governor under the Act shall be concurred or rejected unless it has been placed before the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary.”

Similarly, rules 42A and B have been inserted in principal rules, which follow rule 42. While 42A says that appointments of law officers, including Advocate General, shall be made only after the LG's approval, 42A notes that proposals regarding grant or refusal of persecution sanctions shall be brought before the LG by Chief Secretary via the Law Department.