After transfer of 48 JKAS officers, NC, Congress urge Sinha to respect public mandate

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah chaired a meeting of legislators of the ruling National Conference (NC) and its alliance partners in Srinagar on Friday and condemned the passage of the Waqf bill in Parliament, terming it against Muslims and minorities, besides asking the lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha-led administration and the Centre to “respect people’s mandate”.

Addressing mediapersons after the hour-long emergency meeting that was convened amid growing disquiet between Raj Bhavan and the six-month-old government in the Union Territory, NC legislator and spokesman Tanvir Sadiq, accompanied by Congress MLA Nazimudin Bhat, said that two resolutions were passed. “The ruling alliance partners strongly condemn the passage of the Waqf bill in Parliament. This bill is against Muslims and minorities of the country. The second resolution is that people’s participation in elections should be respected. And those who don’t respect the mandate are insulting the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Through this resolution, we want to convey to the Government of India that respecting people’s mandate is mandatory,” Sadiq said.

The meeting of alliance partners came in the backdrop of lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha ordering the transfer of 48 officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS). The controversial reshuffle of 48 bureaucrats three days ago led to the latest flashpoint between the Raj Bhavan and the Abdullah government over the legal and administrative framework under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, all cabinet ministers and NC MLAs, and three Congress legislators led by chief whip Nizamuddin Bhat met at deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary’s residence in Srinagar.

Sadiq said that the Abdullah government believes in working in coordination with the lieutenant governor and in alignment with the Centre but it should not be considered its weakness. “Don’t push us to the wall. There should be coordination between the Centre, LG administration and the elected government. Don’t take our coordination as our weakness.”

Congress legislator Bhat said: “All NC, Congress and independent legislators stand behind the leader of the House (chief minister Omar Abdullah). There can be moves here or there by those who want to destabilise peace and undermine democracy and its institutions. We unanimously believe that the legislature that has the popular mandate is the acceptable forum to take a call on issues.”

Friday’s meeting was called by Omar Abdullah in the backdrop of the recent transfers of 48 JKAS officers without taking him into confidence. After the transfer orders, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders took potshots at Omar, calling him “such a powerful CM that he can’t even transfer patwaris”.

The meeting of the ruling alliance comes two days ahead of home minister Amit Shah’s visit to the Union Territory following the recent spate of terror activities in Kathua district of Jammu region. Shah is arriving on April 6 and is scheduled to chair security review meetings in both Jammu and Srinagar during his three-day visit.

Before entering the meeting, NC MLA from Sonawari Hilal Akbar Lone said the Raj Bhavan is “undermining” the elected government. He said the meeting would discuss the steps required to be taken so that such things do not recur.

Abdullah has written to Sinha asking him to review the unilateral decision, saying that the transfers and postings of officers outside the All India Services cadre was the exclusive prerogative of the elected government. Such orders undermine the functioning and authority of the elected government, Abdullah asserted in the letter.

Abdullah is said to have taken up the matter with Shah, complaining that a series of actions by the LG, including the transfers, “eroded” the authority of his government.

Abdullah has also directed Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo to ensure that no transfer or posting orders for non-All India Services officers are issued without his prior approval.

He has asked the chief secretary to keep the transfer orders of the 48 JKAS officers in abeyance.

In a show of solidarity, the Congress also criticised Sinha’s decision, saying the LG should have awaited approval of the business rules before proceeding with the transfers.

Gulam Ahmed Mir, the Congress’ national general secretary and leader of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) in the assembly, said that the LG should have exercised more patience, asserting that such actions could “undermine confidence” in the administration.