EC should meet political parties to allay doubts on SIR, says Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the Election Commission (EC) should hold a meeting with political parties to address their concerns regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

“There are apprehensions, and it would be better if the Election Commission calls people like us to explain what SIR really is,” Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a passing-out parade of the Army’s JAKLI regiment. “Elections may not be stolen through machines, but they are certainly manipulated.”

Omar referred to the 2023 delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir as a “manipulation” intended to favour a particular political party.

“You created seven new seats for political gains, benefiting one party or its allies. Elections are manipulated like that. So naturally, there are apprehensions that SIR might also be used to manipulate elections,” he said.

Asked whether Friday, the birth anniversary of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, would be declared a holiday, Omar said the elected government has no such authority.

“I wish! But under the current division of powers, the elected government cannot declare holidays—it lies with the Centre. That is why we seek restoration of statehood, so we can make big and small decisions ourselves,” he said.

He added that there is “no need for a holiday to remember Sher-e-Kashmir.”

Speaking at a separate event, Abdullah said the government’s revised reservation policy was pending approval from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. “If it is approved, we will issue the order,” he said.

His remarks came a day after he stated that the government had “rationalised the reservation policy in the best possible manner” to ensure fairness and fulfil a key poll promise.

Sources told The Tribune that the committee’s report proposes reducing the percentages allotted to the Reserved Backward Area (RBA) and EWS categories to increase the share of open merit or general category seats.

Responding to a question on the renaming of Raj Bhavans and Raj Niwas as Lok Bhavan and Lok Niwas, Omar dismissed the move as cosmetic. “Names don’t change anything—work should be changed,” he said.

Quoting Shakespeare’s line, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” Omar remarked, “Call it something else, but the fragrance remains the same. Likewise, people don’t care about our names; they care about our work.”

The Chief Minister also said the government was processing cases for jobs on compassionate grounds for the next of kin of the Nowgam police station blast victims.

“Their cases are being processed. Where relaxation is needed, it will be granted; where normal orders suffice, orders will be issued,” he said.