Hardeep Jamwal, JNM Journalist, Jammu
Political rhetoric regarding alleged backdoor appointments in Jammu and Kashmir has intensified. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has hit back at former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), dismissing the allegations leveled by them as completely baseless. He remarked that those under whose tenure the highest number of backdoor appointments took place are the very ones questioning his government today.
Speaking to reporters on Friday after participating in an Ashura procession in Srinagar’s Zadibal area, the Chief Minister stated that the entire matter reminds him of the Hindi proverb: “The thief scolding the policeman” (the guilty party accusing the one upholding the law). He asserted that the allegations against his government lack a factual basis and challenged anyone possessing concrete evidence to present it to the government.
Taking aim at former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah asked if people had forgotten the incident during her tenure involving the backdoor appointment of a relative—an appointment that had to be revoked following a court order. He further claimed that the highest number of backdoor appointments occurred during the PDP-BJP coalition government, and investigations into several cases from that period are still ongoing.
The issue of appointments made via outsourcing to approximately 25,000 posts across various government departments over the last two years has resurfaced in public discourse. The PDP and BJP allege that the current government has benefited its close associates under the guise of outsourcing. Mehbooba Mufti had recently sought an explanation from the Chief Minister regarding this matter.
Responding to these allegations, Omar Abdullah stated that if anyone could produce proof of even a single alleged backdoor appointment made during his government’s tenure, he would provide a public response. However, he clarified that he would only address allegations based on facts, not those that are baseless.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that his government is compiling a comprehensive record of alleged backdoor appointments made during the tenures of previous governments. In the coming days, two senior government ministers will present detailed information on this matter to the media and apprise the public of the entire situation.
For now, the issue of backdoor appointments has once again become a major topic in Jammu and Kashmir politics. The opposition is demanding answers from the government, while the government is putting the opposition itself in the dock regarding appointments made during the previous regime. Political rhetoric surrounding this issue is likely to intensify in the coming days.
