Not born in J&K, but will like to leave a mark: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha

“Some people say LG sahib has come and he will leave. I want to say that neither I was born here nor I want to live here. Of course, I have to go,” Lt Governor Sinha said.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha (PTI)

SRINAGAR:  Amid speculation that Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha may be replaced as he is interested in contesting Lok Sabha polls from his home state Uttar Pradesh, Sinha on Thursday said he was neither born in J&K nor wants to live here and asserted that he will leave J&K with an example, which will be remembered.

“Some people say LG sahib has come and he will leave. I want to say that neither I was born here nor I want to live here. Of course, I have to go,” Lt Governor Sinha said while addressing a function at Rajbhavan, here today. “But I want to say that I will leave J&K with an example which will be remembered,” he asserted.

Sinha completed three years as Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month. He took over as a second Lt Governor of J&K Union Territory on August 7, 2020, by replacing G C Murmu. Murmu was the first Lt Governor of J&K UT after the bifurcation of the erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories and the scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A by the Centre on August 5, 2019. He had taken over from then Governor, Satyapal Malik.

Sinha, a seasoned politician, three-time BJP MP and a former union minister, is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. He was a member of the BJP national council from 1989 to 1996. Ahead of the parliamentary elections next year, there is speculation that Sinha wants to return to active politics, join electoral politics and contest the Lok Sabha polls from his home state (Uttar Pradesh). It has led to speculation that Sinha may be replaced as Lt Governor by some other BJP politician.

Sinha can take the credit for considerable improvement in the ground situation, drop in militant violence, decline in militant recruitment in the Union Territory and return of domestic and foreign tourists to the region.  

However, continued targeted killings by militants and cancellation of job selection lists may go against him. After the targeted killings, there was speculation last year that the Centre wanted to replace Sinha with BJP’s Muslim face and ex-union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. However, it did not happen and Sinha continued at the chair.