JAMMU, OCT 28: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the recent Cabinet reshuffle in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that the Jammu region, particularly the Hindu community, had been denied adequate representation in the Council of Ministers. The party also predicted an imminent split in the ruling National Conference (NC), claiming that discontent within its ranks had intensified following the reshuffle.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, senior advocate and J&K BJP chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi, accompanied by party spokespersons Dr Abhijeet Singh Jasrotia, Zorawar Singh Jamwal and advocate Parimoksh Seth, alleged that the Cabinet expansion had exposed internal divisions within the National Conference and raised questions about the government’s approach to regional representation.
Sethi claimed that the BJP had anticipated a serious political fallout from the Cabinet reshuffle and asserted that the developments within the ruling party were now validating its prediction. He alleged that resentment was growing among NC leaders and workers, with some openly expressing opposition to the party leadership.
Focusing on regional representation, Sethi said that when the Council of Ministers had six members, three represented Jammu. The BJP, he said, had expected at least one of the three vacant ministerial positions to be allocated to Jammu, with particular emphasis on increasing Hindu representation.
However, according to Sethi, the reshuffle had disappointed these expectations and hurt the sentiments of people in the Jammu region.
He questioned the decision to drop Satish Sharma from the Council of Ministers, arguing that the government had failed to explain why a minister whom he described as facing relatively fewer corruption allegations had been excluded while other ministers facing allegations were retained.
The BJP spokesperson clarified that his remarks were not intended to issue certificates to individual politicians but to question what he described as inconsistent standards in the selection and retention of ministers. The allegations concerning corruption and the comparative standing of individual ministers were claims made by Sethi during the press conference.
Sethi further argued that if the National Conference leadership had decided to remove Satish Sharma, it could have considered accommodating other Hindu legislators from Jammu. He alleged that the plains of Jammu had been left without adequate representation in the ministerial arrangement.
“How can the people of Jammu expect justice from this government?” Sethi asked, questioning the regional balance in the newly constituted Council of Ministers.
Launching a direct attack on Omar Abdullah, Sethi alleged that the Chief Minister had prioritised leaders loyal to him while accommodating ministers who, according to the BJP, were facing serious allegations.
Describing the new arrangement as a “kitchen cabinet”, the BJP spokesperson claimed that the reshuffle reflected the concentration of political influence around the Chief Minister rather than an inclusive approach to governance.
He also alleged that the National Conference leadership was attempting to contain internal dissent by accommodating senior leaders considered loyal to Omar Abdullah. According to Sethi, dissatisfaction within the party extended beyond those who had publicly criticised the reshuffle.
The BJP leader further alleged that Omar Abdullah had transformed the National Conference into what he termed the “Muslim Conference”, accusing the Chief Minister of failing to ensure equitable representation across regions and communities.
These remarks formed part of the BJP’s broader criticism of the reshuffle, with the party arguing that the distribution of ministerial positions should reflect the political and regional diversity of Jammu and Kashmir.
Predicting that the National Conference could split “very soon”, Sethi claimed that opposition to the party leadership had become increasingly visible following the ministerial changes.
He referred to alleged disagreements among NC leaders and slogans raised by some supporters against the party, presenting these developments as signs of a widening internal rift. He also claimed that several party members who were dissatisfied with the leadership had yet to express their views publicly.
Sethi went further, suggesting that the National Conference risked losing its political standing in Jammu and Kashmir if the alleged divisions continued. He blamed Omar Abdullah’s leadership and the Cabinet reshuffle for what he described as growing discontent within the ruling party.
The prediction of an imminent split, however, was the BJP spokesperson’s political assessment; no formal announcement of a split in the National Conference was cited during the press conference.
Concluding his remarks, Sethi said the BJP strongly condemned the Cabinet reshuffle, alleging that it had denied the people of Jammu, particularly the Hindu community, their due share in the government.
He accused the Chief Minister of pursuing an approach that, in the BJP’s view, had deepened regional dissatisfaction instead of addressing concerns about representation and political inclusion.
The press conference marked a fresh escalation in the BJP’s criticism of the Omar Abdullah-led government following the ministerial changes. While the BJP has framed the reshuffle as an issue of regional balance, community representation and internal instability within the National Conference, the party’s predictions about a possible split remain political claims rather than an established outcome.
The controversy places the composition of the Council of Ministers and the question of equitable representation at the centre of the latest political confrontation in Jammu and Kashmir.
