The Home Ministry boosting administrative powers of the Lieutenant Governor ahead of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir has triggered a controversy with opposition parties accusing the BJP led central government of disempowering Kashmiris by making the elected chief minister a “rubber stamp”.

According to the amendments, almost all key proposals would now go to the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary.

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The Friday’s amendment of the rules of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, grants increased authority to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir regarding the transfer, posting, and appointment of the key all-India service officers such as IAS and IPS, police personnel, law and order issues, and the appointment of judicial officers.

After the Home Ministry amended the rules, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that this new move of the central government is going to make the new Chief Minister “powerless” and this also indicates that elections would be held soon in Jammu and Kashmir.

Omar wrote on the microblogging site X; “Another indicator that elections are around the corner in J&K. This is why a firm commitment laying out the timeline for restoration of full, undiluted statehood for J&K is a prerequisite for these elections. The people of J&K deserve better than powerless, rubber stamp CM who will have to beg the LG to get his/her peon appointed”.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter and her media advisor Iltija Mufti also took to X saying that statehood to J&K is out of question and the elected government will be reduced to a municipality.

She wrote; “At a time when there’s been considerable speculation about GOI holding elections in J&K this new MHA order & ‘farmaan’ widening the already nbridled powers of an unelected LG makes a few things abundantly clear- 1) Assembly elections will be conducted this year itself. 2) GOI is well aware if & when state elections are held in J&K a non BJP government will be elected. 3)The order seeks to disempower the powers of the next J&K state government only because BJP doesn’t want to cede control or lose its iron grip over Kashmiris. 4)statehood is out of the question. An elected government in J&K will be reduced to a municipality”.

Reacting to the development, Vikar Rasool Wani, J&K Congress chief, wrote on X; “The murder of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir is evident before the restoration of proper democracy and statehood. MHA gave more powers, including the Police, Law and order, and the transfer of officers etc have been vested in the LG. The elected Chief Minister and his council will be required to adhere to the directives of the LG, while also remaining accountable to the people”.

As per the amendments, “The Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs shall submit the proposal for appointment of Advocate-General and other Law Officers to assist the Advocate-General in the court proceedings, for approval of the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister”.

All proposals regarding transfer of Administrative Secretaries and All India Services officers will be submitted to the Lieutenant Governor by the Administrative Secretary General Administration Department through the Chief Secretary.