WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), if it is to be brought, should be introduced in Parliament rather than being implemented through individual states, arguing that an issue concerning the entire country should be decided by the country as a whole.
Omar speaking to the media said the National Conference had already issued a statement on the issue and its Rajya Sabha MP had said that bringing such legislation was the job of Parliament.
“If you have the numbers, bring it to Parliament—why are you doing it state by state?” he said, questioning the move to pursue the legislation separately in different states.
Omar also said that not everyone within the NDA alliance was aligned on the issue, referring to reports that the Janata Dal (United) had said the UCC would not be implemented in Bihar.
“If their own people are not ready for it, how can they claim it should be implemented across the entire country?” he said.
He said the government should not use a “backdoor” route and instead bring the Bill before Parliament.
Omar said the UCC could not be called universal if it was not applied across the entire country, noting that the whole country was not governed by the BJP and that there were several territories where the BJP was not in power.
“As I said, it is not universal if it is not applied to the whole country,” he said, adding that something of this nature should not be decided by individual states but by the country as a whole.
“Country as a whole is not represented in state, by Parliament let legislation come to Parliament,” he said.
On developments along the Line of Control and Line of Actual Control, Omar said anything that reduced tensions along the two frontiers was a positive step, particularly for people living close to them.
“Anything that reduces tension on Line of Control or Line of Actual Control, it is a good step particularly for those who live close to it,” he said.
He also expressed hope that things would improve along the Line of Control.
On India’s foreign policy, Omar said it was the country’s own policy and questioned the need to seek certificates from others.
“Our foreign policy is our own, why do we look for others certificate?” he said.
He said India should not give importance to what others say about its foreign policy, whether positive or negative, arguing that the country could not “cherry pick” which reactions to accept.
“We should not give importance to what others say to our foreign policy whether positive or negative, we can’t cherry pick,” he said.
Omar said the issue was for the Government of India, particularly the Ministry of External Affairs, to address, while stressing that the condemnation of the Pahalgam attack was significant.
“The fact Pahalgam was condemned is a big thing,” he said, noting how many of Pakistan’s allies were present in the room and adding that the mention of the Pahalgam attack itself was a success of India’s foreign policy.
Later speaking to media at SKICC Srinagar, Omar on criticism over the shortening of the Assembly session to seven days hit back at the BJP, saying his government was serious about addressing people’s issues.
“This government—meaning your government—is non-serious when it comes to addressing people’s issues. Why has the session been shortened to just seven days?” he said.
Omar said non-seriousness would instead be following the path shown by the BJP, where Assembly sessions in its states had been wrapped up in one or two days.
He said BJP leaders were also not regularly present in Parliament and questioned how they could accuse his government of being non-serious.
“We sit in the Assembly from morning till evening; there isn’t a single day when we ourselves are not present in the Assembly,” he said, adding that the BJP could not level such an allegation.
Omar also said that statements were being issued every day and that he could not be expected to respond to every statement.
“They release statements every single day—you shouldn’t expect a reply to every single statement from sahab,” he said, adding that he would react to one of their statements once a month.
On the UCC, Omar said, “They are feeling concerned; they have just received their appointment.”
On vacancies in government departments, Omar said recruitment was being carried out gradually wherever vacancies existed.
He said the government could rush the process, but haste did not always produce good results and invariably left room for complaints.
“I have instructed the recruiting agency: even if it takes a month or two longer, transparency must be maintained and the proper procedure must be followed so that no one has any complaints about the process later on,” he said.
Omar said the recruitment process was ongoing and that wherever recruitment was needed in any department, it was being carried out.
On the protest announced by daily wagers for September 22, Omar said the government stood by what it had stated during the Budget session and would resolve their issues.
“We stand by what we said in the Budget session; we will resolve their issues,” he said.
Omar also said that given the political stability of the country, there were certain things that were essential to discuss, adding that the situation in Bengal was different.
Responding to questions about whether he was counting his MLAs every day amid speculation about attempts to destabilise his government, Omar said he was not afraid of losing any of his legislators.
“And ask your questions openly! Why are you asking in coded words?” he said, adding that the question was whether he was afraid that some of his MLAs might “slip away”.
“I am not afraid at all! I have complete faith in my people,” Omar said.
He further claimed that he knew who was behind the efforts to destabilise his government, alleging that some of the people involved were the same individuals who picked up their “envelopes” from the offices of agencies on Gupkar Road.
Omar alleged that some of these people had also approached his office in Jammu after the government was formed, seeking to be adjusted somewhere.
“Out of regard for their dignity, I am not opening my mouth, but you can pull up the records—you will find the names of all those who are currently working to topple the MLAs, simply because I didn’t give them jobs in my government,” he said.
Omar further said that commentators who did not receive official positions had started using social media against the government.
He said that had he given them a flat in Jawahar Nagar, they would not have written such things.
“This is pure selfishness, isn’t it? But I am not troubled by selfishness,” Omar said.
Distributes appointment orders to 55 JKAS, accounts service officers
Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today distributed appointment orders to 55 newly selected candidates of the Combined Competitive Examination entering the Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Service and Jammu & Kashmir Accounts ((Gazetted) Service at a function held at SKICC here.
Politics
The 55 newly appointed officers include 28 Junior Scale JKAS officers and 27 Accounts Officers of the J&K Accounts (Gazetted) Service.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister congratulated the newly selected officers and their parents and families, acknowledging the effort, perseverance and sacrifices that went into their selection.
He told the officers that receiving their appointment orders was not the destination of their journey but a new beginning, and that they had covered only a small part of the larger journey ahead.
“Now you have to decide how you want people to remember you when you complete this journey. Only you can decide that,” the Chief Minister said, urging them to build their careers on the foundations of competence, honesty and hard work.
He said public servants are remembered not merely for the positions they hold but for the difference they make in the lives of people. He advised the officers to uphold integrity and ensure that their conduct in public service earns them respect.
The Chief Minister reminded the officers that behind every government file, application and complaint is the story of a person. While every grievance or complaint may not necessarily be justified, he said, there is a reason behind every grievance , and officers must have the sensitivity and willingness to understand people’s problems and work towards resolving them.
He urged the newly appointed officers to look beyond promotions and postings and recognise the opportunity and responsibility that comes with being part of the civil services.
“Don’t keep postings and promotions in mind. Just think that you have got a chance which very few people get,” he said.
The Chief Minister also asked the officers to prepare themselves for challenges that Jammu and Kashmir may face in the coming decades, including improving education, making cities cleaner and more liveable, addressing climate change and responding to emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.
He said that the nature of governance and the challenges before society could change significantly over the next 10 to 20 years, and called upon the young officers to remain adaptable, innovative and committed to public service.
Omar Abdullah assured the officers that the Government would extend all possible support to help them discharge their responsibilities effectively and overcome difficulties in their professional journey.
“You will be in the service. You have to take advantage of that stability and assurance and think about how you would like to see Jammu and Kashmir at the end of your service,” he said.
The Chief Minister said he hoped the officers would live up to the expectations of their parents, families and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He wished the newly appointed officers success in their careers and urged them to always choose the right path, even when it was difficult.
“Make the right decision and serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” CM said.
