Omar Abdullah Rebuts Nadda, Revives Debate on J&K Recruitment Scandals
Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday firmly rejected Union Minister JP Nadda’s claim that his government was responsible for the leak of Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (SSB) documents and claimed that the incident took place in 2022 under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration, two years before his government assumes office in 2024. Nadda said Nadda’s claim misrepresented the timeline and ignored the Supreme Court’s own observations on the matter.
Abdullah’s response came a day after Nadda accused the National Conference (NC) and Congress of remaining silent on the recruitment-related irregularities. In a post on ‘X’, Abdullah acknowledged the seriousness of the SSB documents leak but reminded Nadda that this incident took place under the LG-led dispensation. He also included quotes from the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court’s judgment directing the administration to constitute a high-powered committee headed by a retired judge to investigate “brazen irregularities” in the conduct of JKSSB.
Abdullah questioned the fate of the committee and its findings, stating that neither the report nor any subsequent action had been made public. The 2022 recruitment scandal had forced the administration to cancel exams for positions such as assistant inspectors, assistant engineers and financial accounts assistants, following allegations of widespread corruption and paper leaks. The controversy deepened further when it was revealed that Aptech Limited, which has been blacklisted in several states, was hired to conduct computer-based tests.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statements on fast-track trials in paper leak cases, Abdullah welcomed the recognition that youth concerns deserve priority. He urged the government to directly engage with youth rather than ignoring their grievances. He also clarified that investigations into past paper leak cases have already been conducted and are currently with the CBI.
On entrepreneurship, Abdullah highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen J&K’s startup ecosystem through seed capital programs, incubators and Ascent programme. He said the administration aims to double the number of start-ups every year with promising ideas emerging in the fields of agriculture, horticulture and renewable energy.
Environmental challenges were also included in his speech. The Chief Minister noted that recurrent heavy rains and downpours have become a serious threat, noting the recent damage sustained in Beerwah, Budgam, where several shops were submerged. He stressed the need for a long-term infrastructure protection plan, saying that while rainfall cannot be controlled, its impact can be mitigated.
Meanwhile, political tensions escalated with Opposition Leader Sunil Kumar Sharma accusing Abdullah of “patronising” Mushtaq Peer, the alleged mastermind of the 2012 MBBS entrance exam scam. Sharma claimed that Peer was given additional time and was later appointed as an advisor during Abdullah’s tenure as Prime Minister. He alleged that following allegations that CET-2012 question papers were sold for huge amounts, the investigating agencies under Abdullah did not take action until the Supreme Court intervened.
Sharma also accused Abdullah of “selective memory”, saying he highlighted recent controversies while ignoring old scandals. He also claimed that allegations of paper leakage emerged in the Assistant Engineer (Electrical) examination held in 2025.
These exchanges underscore the intensifying political fight over recruitment integrity in J&K; both the government and the opposition invoke past scandals to question each other’s credibility.
