Govt invisible on ground, confined to parties, celebrations & marathons: LoP

Abid Bashir
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24 Apr 2026

Srinagar, 23 Apr : Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma on Thursday mounted a sharp offensive against the Jammu and Kashmir government, asserting that the restoration of statehood is unlikely “till a prince from Sheikh Abdullah’s family is in power.”

Speaking to media persons in Srinagar, Sharma said that while statehood would be restored “at an appropriate time,” it was “not necessary that Statehood should be given when Omar Abdullah is the Chief Minister.” His remarks come amid ongoing political debate over the timing and conditions for restoring full statehood to the Union Territory.

The LoP accused the Omar-led government of failing to deliver on its commitments to the people. “Where are the free cylinders, where are the one lakh jobs and where are the 200 units of free power?” he asked, urging the media to seek answers from the Chief Minister. “He should first explain these promises to the people.”

Sharma painted a grim picture of the situation on the ground, alleging that the government was largely “invisible” to the public. “Roads are in shambles, there is water scarcity, people are desperate, and ministers are nowhere to be seen,” he said. “Instead of addressing real issues, the government is busy organising marathons, cycling events, skiing and attending special dinners and parties.”

Alleging widespread corruption, Sharma claimed that “transfers have become an industry,” and accused the administration of lacking accountability. He also criticised the Chief Minister for holding multiple portfolios. “There are 17 departments with the Chief Minister, yet not a single one is being properly reviewed. He changes three suits a day, but does not hold a single officer accountable,” Sharma said.

Raising concerns over security arrangements, the BJP leader alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah enjoys “more security than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” “I recently attended a function and was shocked to see the scale of his security cover—huge sirens and heavy deployment. What more do they need, and what will be left for the common man?” he said.

Sharma also condemned the recent attack on the former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah during a marriage function in Jammu and demanded a thorough investigation. However, he questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident. “Why was Dr Farooq Abdullah moving without informing the police, that too late evening?” he asked.

He added that the BJP seeks a detailed probe into the matter, noting that the individual arrested reportedly had no prior criminal or terrorism record. “The person arrested repeatedly claimed that he was desperately waiting for Dr Farooq for the last 20 years so that he could kill him. The reason as to why the person wanted to kill Dr Farooq needs to be thoroughly investigated,” the LoP said. “They (NC) call it a security lapse, but the same security personnel (guarding Dr Farooq) saved him. We need to investigate what really happened,” Sharma said.