SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and ruling National Conference have countered Union Health Minister J P Nadda's remarks linking the 2022 Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) paper leak to NC-Congress government by saying the incident took place under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and there was no elected government in office then.
Omar said the Union Health Minister had "got the date wrong" while referring to the JKSSB recruitment paper leak.
“You are absolutely correct about the SSB paper leak in J&K, J P Nadda ji, but you have got the date wrong. It was 2022. The government wasn’t of NC & Congress. It was a government headed by the Lieutenant Governor, but thank you for reminding everyone of this failure,” Omar said in a post on X.
He said the case had led to significant observations and directions from the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and questioned the fate of the High-Level Committee constituted to probe the matter.
“We have no idea what happened to the High-Level Committee or its report. Perhaps you can share that with us in your next press conference,” the CM remarked.
Omar was responding to comments made by Union Health Minister Nadda during a press conference on the ongoing students’ protests over alleged examination irregularities.
Defending the BJP against opposition criticism on paper leaks, Nadda cited several instances from different states.
“If we look at the instances of paper leaks, there was a leak in the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board examination when the Congress and National Conference were in power,” he said and accused the opposition of being “selective” in raising the issue.
NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said it is “astonishing” that the Union minister “would make a claim so divorced from the facts.”
“The J&K recruitment paper leak happened in 2022 under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration which means directly under you, when there was no elected government. The present government assumed office only in October 2024,” he said.
According to Tanvir, if Nadda cannot distinguish between the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and an elected government, “he has no business lecturing anyone. If he does know the facts, then this is a deliberate attempt to deceive the people of the country.”
Another NC spokesperson, Imran Nabi Dar, also accused Nadda of misrepresenting the facts.
“Why would you lie @JPNadda? What is the compulsion? I am sure you know: JKSSB Paper leak scam took place in March 2022; the selection list was cancelled in July 2022; @JKNC_ came to power in Oct 2024; &K was under LG and Central government during this time; back to back paper leak scams have taken place during LG rule,” he said.
“Did our Statehood protest in Delhi rattle you so much Sir (sic),” Imran said in a post on X.