Govt employee sackings started under Mehbooba, not 2019: CM
Srinagar, Nov 9: Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah on Sunday strongly criticised the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition for initiating the dismissal of government employees in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the policy of terminating employees “did not begin after 2019” but was first implemented when Mehbooba Mufti headed the government in alliance with the BJP.
Addressing a gathering at Ompora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on the final day of campaigning for the Assembly bypolls, CM Omar said the PDP-BJP government had set a dangerous precedent by targeting employees during its tenure.
“The process of firing government employees did not start after 2019. Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba was the first one to sign these orders during the PDP-BJP government. According to her order, government employees were fired. Apart from destruction, they gave nothing to the people,” he said.
The CM accused the PDP-BJP coalition of leaving behind a legacy of turmoil and economic setbacks.
“What did they give us except destruction? They gave us 2016 – a year remembered for pain and unrest. They brought the GST law, which eroded our fiscal autonomy, and the SARFAESI law, that hurt our local economy. My party is now working to rectify the destruction they caused,” he said.
CM Omar pointed to the development imbalance between Kashmir and Jammu, saying that it was a direct outcome of the coalition’s decisions.
“During the PDP-BJP government, they opened IIT and IIM in Jammu. AIIMS in Jammu is already functional, but our AIIMS in Kashmir is still under construction and will take at least two more years to be completed,” he said, calling it an example of “lopsided policy-making.”
The CM said that despite Budgam’s close proximity to Srinagar, it remained underdeveloped.
“As close as Budgam is to Srinagar, it still has a long way to go in terms of development. I have always said that I want to make Budgam a model Assembly constituency with Aga Syed Mahmood,” he said, expressing confidence in the NC candidate.
CM Omar also made it clear that the outcome of a single seat would not impact his government, but could make a difference to the local population.
“This one seat will not make or break any government. The government is already in place. My effort is to ensure that Budgam gets the right representative who can work with the government and bring development. I am not afraid of the competition, but I want voters to choose wisely,” he said.
The CM urged NC workers not to become complacent ahead of polling day.
“You don’t win any election before polling. Until the last polling booth closes, we have to work hard. If any of my colleagues are under the impression that we have already won this seat, they should correct themselves. The campaign may end at 5 pm today, but our effort must continue till every voter reaches the polling station,” he told the gathering.
CM Omar said his party’s campaign in Budgam was focused on issues of governance, employment, and equitable development. “People here want stable leadership and real development. We are not asking for votes based on empty slogans but on our record of work and credibility,” he said, adding that the NC was fighting the bypoll with “hope and confidence.”
