WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday ruled out resigning over demands raised by the BJP, saying he would not step down merely to “please the Leader of the Opposition”, while accusing the administration of treating the BJP and National Conference protests differently.
Addressing the media, Omar said the government had sought a five-year mandate from the people and would place its report card before them after completing its term. He also questioned the basis of allegations regarding backdoor appointments, asking the LoP to name the agency that had investigated the alleged irregularities or the FIR registered in connection with them.
“You saw BJP being allowed to protest and National Conference not being allowed to protest. That is what you saw. So please don’t draw a false equivalence, because there is no equivalence in the way in which the two parties were treated by the administration, by the police, Omar told reporters.
One was facilitated and one was brutally repressed. Colleagues of mine were dragged, they were injured, and some of them had to seek treatment in hospital. So that was what was done with National Conference. The BJP was escorted. You were there; I saw many of you accompanying that protest. The ease with which you were able to interview the Leader of the Opposition during their protest was seen by all of us, he said.
So please don’t say that you saw two protests, you didn’t. You saw one, and you saw one protest that was denied. This in itself tells you the situation that exists in Jammu and Kashmir today, where if you want to march on the Chief Minister’s residence, you’re allowed to, Omar told media.
If you want to gherao the secretariat, you’re allowed to. But if you want to protest outside the BJP’s office, God forbid, that you will not be allowed—because the police is there only to protect the honor of the BJP. They don’t care about anything else, he said.
On being asked about challenge made by LoP Sunil Sharma, Omar said, “We sought votes on that very basis, so why should I resign? Are we supposed to assume that they are simply not going to grant statehood to this government? If that is the case, for God’s sake, why don’t we hear this directly from the central government? If they truly wish to tear the Constitution of India to shreds, disrespect the Supreme Court, disrespect Parliament, and prove Prime Minister Modi’s promise false, then let them go ahead and do so.
I will not resign merely to please the Leader of the Opposition. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have given us a mandate for five years, and we will place our report card before the people after five years, he said.
As for the rest of the allegations being leveled—tell me, my government does not even have the jurisdiction or authority to investigate them. So let the LoP clarify: what investigation has actually been carried out? If backdoor appointments took place, which agency investigated them? Just name one. If irregularities occurred, the Anti-Corruption Bureau is not under my control, the Crime Branch is not under my control, and the CID is not under my control—let alone the central agencies. Tell me, where has an FIR been lodged?, he said.
These are completely baseless allegations from the BJP because they have nothing else left to say. They fail on their own account every single day, yet they target us. It is just like the proverb: ‘The thief scolding the watchman.’ Here, we are bearing the brunt of their misdeeds, we are trying to rectify their blunders, and yet they are the ones lecturing us, he told reporters.
On appointment letter, Omar said you must have noticed that generally during assembly sessions, and especially during the budget session when the health department’s grants are debated, honorable MLAs—particularly those representing far-flung areas—always share a grievance regarding this department: that there is a shortage of doctors. This shortage of doctors cannot be resolved overnight, but it has been our utmost effort to ease this deficit to some extent.
In this regard, as another step taken by the Medical Education Department, around 330 doctors who completed the recruitment process and whose subsequent verification was concluded have been issued their appointment orders today. Following this, their postings will take place, and they will be deployed to hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir. It is hoped—just as I, Nasir, and Sakina emphasized in our speeches—that these individuals will go out into these areas and serve the people there. In this manner, step by step, we will gradually be able to improve the healthcare system of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
On statement made by RSS Chief in New York, Omar said, “Making a statement is one thing; translating it into actual practice is another. The reality is that what the RSS Chief said sounds good—he said it during his visit to America, fine—but on the ground, nobody is actually putting it into practice.
As a Muslim, just try stepping outside Jammu and Kashmir and attempting to rent a house somewhere; let us see if you actually manage to find one. There are so many of our youth across the rest of the country, who have gone either for higher education or for employment, who struggle to find accommodation today simply because their religion is Islam, he said.
So it is all well and good that the RSS Chief remarked that anyone who regards Muslims as outsiders, or believes there is no place for Muslims in India, is not a true Hindu. But what I would really want is for the people across the country to actually practice this. Only then will I agree that what he stated holds genuine weight, he said.
Asked about Nepal issue, “You might remember that in my very first budget, I had allocated funds specifically for research on GLOF [Glacial Lake Outburst Floods]. We did not wait for Nepal to happen; we already knew that this GLOF phenomenon could definitely pose a risk to Jammu and Kashmir”.
We want our research institutions, our universities, and our experts to guide us on what steps we can take so that a tragedy like the one in Nepal does not occur in Jammu and Kashmir. That process is currently underway. Whatever advice or recommendations we receive from the experts, we will certainly act upon them, he said.
‘J&K investing in more doctors, better healthcare’
Hands over appointment orders to new Medical Officers
Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday handed over appointment orders to newly recruited Medical Officers of the Health and Medical Education Department, saying the government is focusing on expanding medical education, increasing the number of doctors and strengthening healthcare infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the newly appointed doctors at a ceremony at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), the Chief Minister said J&K continues to substantially subsidise medical education to make it more affordable for students.
He said government medical colleges in J&K offer medical education at comparatively lower costs than several other states, despite the high expenditure involved in training doctors.
“We happily accept this expense because we want more doctors to be made,” Omar said, adding that the government has also taken steps, in coordination with the Centre, to increase the intake capacity of medical colleges in J&K.
He said an increase in medical seats would help create a larger pool of trained doctors who could eventually contribute to public healthcare delivery across the Union Territory.
Omar also assured the newly appointed Medical Officers that the government would work to improve their service conditions and provide better infrastructure, particularly for those posted in remote and underserved areas.
“We will improve your service conditions so that you can carry out your work without fear. We will also improve your infrastructure. And in medical colleges, wherever there is a shortage, we will also improve it,” he said.
Urging the doctors to serve with dedication and compassion, the Chief Minister said their appointment marked the beginning of a long career in public service and carried a greater responsibility towards people, particularly those seeking medical care during difficult circumstances.
He called upon them to serve wherever they were posted and contribute to strengthening healthcare facilities at the grassroots.
Omar said patients should not have to travel to Jammu or Srinagar for routine procedures that could be performed at sub-district or district hospitals. He stressed the need to strengthen healthcare delivery closer to people’s homes.
“We have to change the future of Jammu and Kashmir. To change the future, we are paying special attention to two things—education and health,” he said.
The Chief Minister said both sectors were fundamental to the overall development of J&K and that progress in other areas would have limited impact unless people were educated and healthy.
Personally handing over the appointment orders, Omar congratulated the newly recruited Medical Officers and acknowledged the sacrifices made by their parents and families in supporting them through medical education and training.
The ceremony was attended by Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakina Itoo, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, M. Raju, Mission Director, National Health Mission J&K, Akriti Sagar, faculty members, newly appointed Medical Officers and their parents.
