In a significant statement, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said his government was functioning independently and dismissed reports of being under pressure from the Centre, Raj Bhawan, or any political leaders, including those from the BJP.

In his first formal interaction with mediapersons in Srinagar, Omar said; “My government is not facing any pressure from the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Raj Bhawan, or any BJP leader.”

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“In my first meeting with PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, they told me that they honour the mandate of the people and no attempts will be made to destabilise my government”, he said.

”People have given us the mandate for five years and not short of that,” he stated.

Omar pooh-poohed reports of his joining the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and said the National Conference (NC) continues to be a part of the India Alliance.

Omar also said “It is untrue that bureaucrats are not listening to us. My government is functioning effectively without any external interference,” he asserted.

On being asked whether he was an empowered CM in the Union Territory (UT) setup, Omar said; “I can’t say I am as empowered as a state Chief Minister would be. No CM in a UT is as empowered as the one in a state.”

Omar said that hybrid governance with dual centres of power is disadvantageous and a single command is more effective for governance. He stressed the urgent need to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, citing the Supreme Court’s December 2023 phrasing of “as soon as possible” as a clear timeline. “I believe one year is enough for ‘as soon as possible.’ It is high time we are given back what was taken away.”

Replying to a question on the dual power centre in the J&K Union Territory, Omar said while differences in opinion exist, there is no significant confrontation with the Raj Bhavan. He said that the draft of the government business rules is being framed in consultation with legal luminaries and others and once this is done, the draft will be sent to the Raj Bhavan for approval.

“Systems work better when there is a single centre of command. For the UT, the dual centres of command are inbuilt. If a dual system was an effective system of governance then you would see it everywhere in the government, security forces and business.”

The Chief Minister said he was not the one to tell people not to go to the Raj Bhavan. “I would say people should go wherever they can get their issues resolved be it in the Raj Bhavan or with the local MLA or the officers,” he said.

The Chief Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to delivering on the promises outlined in its manifesto, and that some goals would be achieved immediately, while others, such as restoring statehood, would require time.

Asked about his party MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi’s protest over the issue of reservation outside his residence, Omar said in the NC, there is democracy and anyone has the right to speak.

”As far as reservation is concerned, I told the protestors that a cabinet sub-committee has been constituted for this purpose. The party expected that Mehdi would hold a similar protest for the restoration of statehood in Parliament as well,” he added.

Omar, however, said ”While we can fight the reserved and open category fight, but first we have to save our jobs”. “What will we do when people from other places come here for jobs?” he asked.

The Chief Minister said his government will release its report card of 100 days that would include fulfilment of the election promises.

“My religious faith does not weaken if I respect the culture and religion of others”, he said.

Omar said that the state government will be able to provide 200 units of electricity for free to consumers only if meters are installed. “200 units of free power will be rolled out only after the areas are metered. How else would you measure the units? When we roll out this scheme in March-April, all can benefit,” he pointed out.