Love people of J&K Beinteha, Beshumaar: CM Omar

Jammu, Mar 11: “Why do we write love letters? They are written to express love.  Do I love the people of Jammu and Kashmir? Yes, I do – Beinteha Mohabbat Karta Hoon… Beshumaar Karta Hoon (My love is boundless, immeasurable).”

This was Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was in his element as he replied to the opposition members’ criticism of his budget speech bit by bit in his inimitable manner in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

“It (budget) is a love letter to the people of Jammu and Kashmir…..Through it (budget) I’ve made an effort to extend my love in tangible form. I’m not embarrassed that I’ve written a love letter. God willing, if all goes well, we’ll continue writing this love letter to the people for the next five years,” he said replying to the general discussion on the budget.

This was his rejoinder to the opposition’s dig at his maiden budget.

“They (opposition) described LG’s Address and later my budget speech as a love-letter (to the BJP) Though I’m treading my path very cautiously yet without inhibition I’ve owned this dig of ‘love-letter.’ While replying to the press, I said that this is a love letter to the BJP; to the PC; PDP; NC; CPI-M; Congress; Khursheed Sahib’s Party (AIP) and independents. This is a love letter to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Chief Minister remarked.

His next retort was to the opposition’s criticism of his expression of profusely thanking the Prime Minister, Home and Finance Minister in his budget speech.

“Is it a sin to convey thanks? Should we be thankless? If someone has helped J&K, should I say that the person has done nothing? If the PM, HM and FM have extended their generous help, should that make me embarrassed? Should I feel ashamed? I thanked them that day and I’ll do it again today. Why should I feel ashamed? I reiterate that I’m grateful to them that they extended great help to J&K,” he said amid thumping of desks by ruling combine members and for a change, by BJP members also.

This did not go unnoticed by the smiling CM, who immediately teased, “See, on this point, they (BJP members) too are thumping the desks.”

He used his most potent ammunition against the main opposition party BJP.

“Their opening batsman, (Balwant Singh) Mankotia, like Sunil Gavaskar, entered the ground. However, when he started I was a bit confused for a while. That he had entered the ground to play cricket yet he started playing football, Debate was on budget but his address seemed to have “Governor-Address flavour” loaded with political content less on budget,” the Chief Minister remarked.

“After my reply to the discussion on LG’s Address, I had heard from somewhere that tension had built up in the opposition camp. I heard that they were grilled by their leadership that they could not contain me and they allowed me to change the narrative. Initially, I took it lightly. But after listening to him (Mankotia), focussing on Article 370, Maharaja Ji, and July 13. I was convinced that what I heard was correct,” he used another teaser.

He also had a “double-engine government” dig at the BJP benches for not operating enough buses on the Kishtwar route, in response to BJP MLA Shagun Parihar’s criticism.

Responding to the Peoples Conference MLA’s point, the Chief Minister said that the budget would not have an inflationary impact.

He then referred to another critique by the opposition related to “over-reliance” on the Centre for finances.

“That is our challenge. I myself say that we don’t stand on our own feet. We are not financially independent. Your budget speeches too had mentioned – the Finance Minister going to Delhi with a begging bowl. But they too could not become self-reliant,” he mockingly remarked.

Using statistics to bring his point home, the Chief Minister said that for executing works worth Rs 35,000 Cr (capex), J&K would have to make over Rs 70000 revenue expenditure (as salaries). He stressed that Jammu and Kashmir had always relied on central funds, but the goal was to achieve financial self-reliance in the long run. To achieve this, the government has focused on developing new tourism destinations and industrial estates and encouraging start-ups and entrepreneurship. Addressing criticism that his budget speech was pessimistic, the Chief Minister clarified that it was, in fact, realistic. “Some members termed the beginning of my budget speech as pessimistic. I believe it was not pessimistic; it was realistic. I told the truth—I said my whole body had wounds. Pessimism would have been if I had said, ‘The body has so many wounds, death would be inevitable.’” Instead, he explained, “I said, ‘The body has so many wounds, and I don’t even have enough balm for them.’ This is not pessimism; this is our reality.”

He stressed the financial constraints facing the Union Territory, adding, “Do I have enough money to take all the power projects into my hands and start working on them? No. Can I provide free electricity to all the people? No. In today’s age, we don’t even have the budget to ensure 24-hour electricity for Jammu and Kashmir. We are forced to buy electricity. We have worked on increasing social benefits for the poor. But is this truly enough to meet their needs? No.”

Quoting an English saying, “Cut your coat according to your cloth,” the Chief Minister explained the necessity of managing within available resources. “My words were not pessimistic; they were realistic. I presented the truth. We don’t have enough money, but we have prioritized welfare measures that will have a meaningful impact on the people.”

He acknowledged that the budget would not yield instant results but assured that long-term growth had been set in motion. “This budget serves as our foundation. Over the next five years, we will build a strong and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir.”

Responding to the opposition, particularly BJP members, the Chief Minister remarked that instead of focusing on the budget, their speeches were centred around Article 370, Maharaja Ji, and July 13.

“Initially, I thought his speech had substance, but in reality, there was nothing related to the budget,” he said, referring to a BJP legislator’s remarks.

Dispelling the misconception that Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) are fully funded by the Government of India, the Chief Minister explained that the UT also contributes significantly. He cited the PM Golden Card, which covers only BPL families under central funding, while the remaining 18 lakh families are supported by the UT. Similarly, under the National Social Assistance Program, 1.43 lakh BPL families receive pensions from central funds, but 8 lakh additional pensioners are covered by the UT’s own resources. “These are not mere figures; they represent our responsibility toward our people.”

The Chief Minister emphasized that after years of struggle, the budget of Jammu and Kashmir was finally being discussed within J&K itself, instead of just being passed in Parliament. “This is an achievement in itself. Some may argue that we still do not have a government of our own. But let me remind them—this budget is for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and it is being debated where it truly belongs.”

He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to restoring dignity, empowerment, and self-reliance for the people. “Some may see these initiatives as mere drops in the ocean, but history has shown that even the mightiest oceans are formed by countless drops,” he said.

Later speaking to the media outside the House, the Chief Minister said, “The country could be addressed by any name, India, Bharat or Hindustan – whichever name resonates with the people.”

He was responding to a question related to the statement of an RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale.

Quoting Reserve Bank of India, Constitution of India, Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Omar asked, “What about these expressions which are used in common parlance?”