Omar Abdullah Accuses Raj Bhawan-Appointed Officers Of Selective Demolitions Targeting Muslims

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday alleged that recent demolition drives in Jammu, including the razing of a local journalist’s house, are part of a “planned conspiracy” by officers appointed by the Lieutenant Governor’s office to defame and humiliate the elected National Conference (NC) government and selectively target members of the Muslim community.

Speaking to reporters at the NC headquarters here, Abdullah said the demolitions were being carried out on a “pick-and-choose” basis without the knowledge, consent, or approval of the elected government or the concerned minister. “These officers appointed by Raj Bhawan are running bulldozers without informing the elected government or taking the minister into confidence. This appears to be a deliberate conspiracy to defame and undermine the people’s mandate,” the Chief Minister said.

The trigger for his sharp reaction was Thursday’s demolition by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) of the house of freelance journalist Arfaz Ahmed Daing in Transport Nagar, Jammu. JDA officials, backed by heavy police deployment, had claimed the structure was illegally built on state land and was removed as part of an ongoing anti-encroachment drive.

The Chief Minister challenged the JDA to make public a complete list of all encroachments on state land in Jammu. “Was he (Arfaz Ahmed) the only person who had encroached state land? I am against illegal occupation by anyone, but was due process followed? Why is action being taken selectively against the members of a particular community?” he asked, adding that the pattern clearly suggested an attempt to “embarrass the elected government because some people cannot digest the election results.”

Political tensions continue to rise as the Abdullah government demands greater control over administrative postings, while his party colleagues too accuse authorities of using anti-encroachment and security operations to selectively target dissenting voices and minority communities. The Chief Minister made no attempt to conceal his strong displeasure over what he described as repeated interference by the Lieutenant Governor’s office in matters that clearly fall within the jurisdiction of the elected government.

The Chief Minister also demanded that key field-level postings — including CEOs of development authorities and revenue officials — be made only with the approval of the elected government. “Commissioner-secretaries and principal secretaries are fine, but officers who deal directly with people on the ground must be appointed by the elected government. Unfortunately, officers are being posted without consultation and are acting on directions from elsewhere,” he alleged. He added, “If our own officers had done this, I would have taken immediate action against them. But these officers have no accountability to the elected government. He (Lt. Governor) keeps claiming there is no interference from Raj Bhawan. If this is not interference, then what is it?

Earlier during the day, former Chief Minister and opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the demolition, linking it to the NC government’s recent rejection of the PDP’s “anti-bulldozer” bill in the Assembly. “These aren’t helpless Muslim families in UP. This is Jammu & Kashmir, where a journalist who built a modest home 40 years ago on just 3 marlas of land saw it crushed to rubble in seconds,” she posted on X. She added, “The NC dismissed our anti-bulldozer bill by branding such residents as land grabbers. Today, the brutal consequences of that decision are visible to all.”

JDA, defending its action, said that the drive launched by it is routine and impartial. It maintained that Thursday’s operation in Transport Nagar was part of a larger anti-encroachment campaign to retrieve state land and followed due process. Officials rejected allegations of bias, stating that action is taken irrespective of community or religion.

The incident comes days after the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of J&K Police raided the Jammu office of Kashmir Times and the residence of its owner, Prabodh Jamwal, in connection with an FIR alleging “criminal conspiracy with secessionist and anti-national entities.” The SIA claimed to have recovered arms, ammunition, and incriminating material during the searches conducted in the presence of an Executive Magistrate.

Kashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin condemned the raid as a “witch-hunt” to silence independent journalism, rejecting the police claims about weapons recovery as fabricated. The Press Club of India and international watchdogs such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed serious concern, terming the action a troubling escalation in pressure on media in Jammu and Kashmir.

The SIA, however, insisted the searches were part of a lawful investigation into allegations that the media house was disseminating terrorist and secessionist ideology and attempting to disturb peace and challenge India’s sovereignty.