Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday firmly rejected Union Minister J.P. Nadda’s allegation that his government was responsible for the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (SSB) paper leak, asserting that the incident took place in 2022 under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration—two years before his government assumed office in 2024. He said Nadda’s claim misrepresented the timeline and ignored the High Court’s own observations on the matter.
Abdullah’s response came a day after Nadda accused the National Conference (NC) and Congress of maintaining silence on recruitment-related irregularities. In a post on ‘X’, Abdullah acknowledged the seriousness of the SSB paper leak but reminded Nadda that the episode occurred under the LG-led dispensation. He also attached excerpts from the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court order directing the administration to constitute a high-powered committee headed by a retired judge to investigate “brazen irregularities” in the JKSSB’s conduct.
Abdullah questioned the fate of the committee and its findings, noting that neither the report nor any follow-up action had been made public. The 2022 recruitment scandal had forced the administration to cancel examinations for posts including sub-inspectors, junior engineers and finance accounts assistants, after widespread allegations of corruption and paper leaks. The controversy deepened when it emerged that Aptech Limited—blacklisted in several states—had been hired to conduct computer-based tests.
Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks on fast-track courts for paper leak cases, Abdullah welcomed the acknowledgement that youth concerns deserve priority. He urged the government to engage directly with young people rather than dismissing their grievances. He also clarified that investigations into past paper leak cases had already been conducted and were now with the CBI.
On entrepreneurship, Abdullah highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen J&K’s startup ecosystem through seed capital schemes, incubators and the Ascent programme. He said the administration aims to double the number of startups annually, with promising ideas emerging from agriculture, horticulture and renewable energy.
Environmental challenges also featured in his remarks. The Chief Minister noted that recurring heavy rainfall and cloudbursts have become a serious threat, citing recent damage in Beerwah, Budgam, where several shops were washed away. 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 as Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma accused Abdullah of “patronising” Mushtaq Peer, the alleged mastermind of the 2012 MBBS entrance examination scam. Sharma claimed Peer was granted an extension and later appointed as a consultant during Abdullah’s earlier tenure as Chief Minister. He alleged that investigative agencies under Abdullah failed to act until the High Court intervened, following submissions that CET-2012 question papers had been sold for large sums.
Sharma further accused Abdullah of “selective memory,” saying he was highlighting recent controversies while ignoring older scandals. He also claimed that allegations of a paper leak surfaced during the Junior Engineer (Electrical) examination conducted in 2025.
These exchanges underscore the intensifying political battle over recruitment integrity in J&K, with both the government and opposition invoking past scandals to challenge each other’s credibility.
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