Bureaucrats ‘browbeaten, threatened’ for backing early J-K Assembly polls: Omar

Srinagar, March 18

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah claimed on Monday that bureaucrats, who backed early Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, were being “browbeaten and threatened” using performance appraisals against them.

Abdullah has been outspoken against the Election Commission’s decision not to hold assembly elections in the state simultaneously with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“I’m shocked to hear how officers who have supported early assembly elections are being browbeaten & threatened using their performance appraisals against them to get them to toe the line,” Abdullah, a former chief minister, said in a series of tweets.

Soon after the Election Commission announced not to hold assembly elections in the state for the time being, the NC leader had said that the Centre had surrendered before Pakistan, militants and separatists as they were the ones who did not want the polls to be held on time.

“No honest officer should fear these threats. We must put the greater good ahead of our personal preferences & benefits. Those people making the threats will not remain in the state for very long,” the former chief minister said.

Abdullah said while some of the officers posted in Jammu and Kashmir had no stake in the state, a few others were securing post-retirement postings.

“Some have no stakes in the state & some are looking at post retirement postings in cushy appointments. Whatever their reasons they have chosen to put their personal interest ahead of the greater good,” he said.

“One day we will talk about the cabal of officers in J&K who for their own selfish reasons have taken it upon themselves to scuttle democracy in the state,” he added. PTI