SRINAGAR: Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Manoj Sinha on Friday was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of J&K, becoming the first political leader to take charge of the union territory (UT).
Sinha said restoring peace and ending uncertainty and militancy in the UT would be his mission. The L-G also said the Jammu and Kashmir administration will soon initiate ‘direct dialogue’ with the people to end the situation of uncertainty and the menace of terrorism.
The 61-year-old Sinha was administered the oath in English by J&K High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal at Raj Bhavan. He took the oath. Previous L-G Girish Chandra Murmu’s two advisors Farooq Khan and Baseer Ahmad Khan and top police and civil officials were present on the occasion.
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Besides, J&K BJP president Ravindra Raina, BJP Lok Sabha MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, PDP Rajya Sabha MP Nazir Ahmad Laway and J&K Apni Party leader Ghulam Hassan Mir were also present. “Kashmir is India’s paradise and I have been given a responsibility to play a role in J&K,” said Sinha.
Without mentioning the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of J&K on August 5 last year, he said: “August 5 is an important day in J&K’s history now. After years of isolation, J&K has joined the national mainstream.” Outlining his priorities, Sinha pitched for peace and stability and said the powers of the Constitution will be used for the betterment of the people and the development of Jammu and Kashmir. ‘We need to establish a dialogue with the common people of Jammu and Kashmir. We don’t have any agenda in that. There will be no discrimination against anyone. Constitution will be Gita in that,” he said.