'Excuse for under-performance': Omar Abdullah refuses to comment on J&K L-G remarks

Srinagar, Oct 31 (IANS) J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday that he would not comment on the statement of the Lt Governor (L-G), Manoj Sinha, unless he goes through the statement of the L-G, who had criticised the Abdullah for giving excuses for his government's under-performance.

When asked by reporters about the L-G’s statement, Abdullah said he had not read Sinha’s statement.

“First, I would like to see the words he has used, because if there is a difference in what he has stated and what you are saying, then if I say something wrong, it will not be good,” the Chief Minister said.

He added, however, that if the L-G has said what the media personnel were saying, then he “will respond to that at the right time.”

Earlier, the L-G said that the elected government had enough powers and should attend to issues concerning the common man and not use the statehood bogey to hide under-performance.

The L-G said that the lack of statehood to J&K cannot be used as an excuse for “under-performance” as the elected government has all the powers.

Addressing the J&K UT Foundation Day celebrations at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, the L-G said the Union home minister Amit Shah has stated in the Parliament that delimitation first, assembly election second, and then the restoration of the statehood at an appropriate time.

“But some people have some problems. When the assembly elections were held, it was clear that the elections were taking place for the J&K assembly. They (elected government) cannot make the excuse that work cannot be done till statehood is restored,” the L-G said.

The L-G said the elected government has all the powers, and asserted that people should not be misled under the pretext of the absence of statehood.

--IANS

sq/dan