J&K L-G Manoj Sinha.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: A fresh political controversy has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha ordered the transfer of 48 middle-rung officials from the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS), including over 12 magistrates, on Tuesday evening.
The decision, which consolidates the LG’s control over the bureaucracy in the Union Territory (UT), has prompted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to convene an emergency meeting to address the issue.
The transfer order has raised alarms within the ruling National Conference (NC) and its allies, including Congress, who view the move as an undue interference in civil affairs and an erosion of the elected government’s authority.
Tanvir Sadiq, NC’s chief spokesperson and Omar’s trusted aide, said, without directly naming the L-G, “No uncrowned King has the right to snub a democratically elected government.”
NC’s chief whip Mubarik Gul, in a letter to the ruling party legislators said, "Keeping in view the importance of the meeting, all honourable members are requested to kindly make it convenient to attend the meeting.”
The Congress party has also criticized the transfer decision, suggesting that the L-G should have waited for the approval of business rules before implementing the changes. “It would have been more prudent for the L-G to be patient, especially as the business rules are still pending approval,” said Ghulam Ahmed Mir, MLA and national general secretary of the Congress.
Since Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory in 2019, power-sharing arrangements between the elected government and the L-G have been in place. While the L-G has the authority to transfer IAS/IPS/IFS officers, the elected government retains control over postings and transfers of JKAS officers.
Last month, the J&K Cabinet, led by Omar Abdullah, finalized business rules and submitted them to the L-G for approval. The Chief Minister had hoped that the L-G would approve the rules to ensure smooth governance, but the approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is still pending.
A senior NC leader revealed that the transfer orders have deeply upset Omar, who is expected to raise the issue with the MHA in the coming days. “Such moves by the L-G seem aimed at embarrassing the Chief Minister and undermining his public image. Over the past few months, the L-G administration has increasingly marginalized the Chief Minister,” the leader disclosed.
This is not the first time that such transfers have sparked political tensions. A similar controversy arose last year when Omar Abdullah was on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, during which the LG administration transferred several key officials, causing unease within the ruling coalition.
Additionally, the LG’s refusal to approve Omar Abdullah’s decision to retain D.C. Raina as Advocate General further fueled tensions between the two administrations.
The latest controversy has only added to the already strained relations between the L-G administration and the elected government, leaving many to wonder about the future of governance in Jammu and Kashmir.