Speaking to reporters after paying obeisance at Bawe Wali Mata temple ahead of the Diwali festival, Choudhary said National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had held discussions with the legislators and resolved the matter.
He urged the media to shift its focus towards pressing issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir instead of repeatedly highlighting speculation about differences within the ruling party.
The remarks came a day after the National Conference leadership met legislators who had reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over their exclusion from the Council of Ministers following the recent Cabinet expansion.
The party leadership had dismissed reports of an internal split as baseless, while several legislators maintained that their concerns had been conveyed to the leadership.
“The expressions on their faces make it quite clear. When my leader, the NC president, and the Chief Minister discussed the matter with all the MLAs, that was the end of it,” Choudhary said.
Questioning the relevance of repeatedly discussing the issue, the Deputy Chief Minister asked whether such coverage would help address unemployment or ensure the regularisation of daily wage workers in the Union Territory.
He accused certain sections of the media of giving greater prominence to political controversies than to issues directly affecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Choudhary also raised questions over the appointment of the next Chief Secretary following the retirement of Atal Dulloo on November 1, questioning why he had not been granted an extension.
“If officials in other parts of the country were granted extensions, why was Dulloo not given one? If a Chief Secretary has to be appointed in J&K, why can’t someone from the region itself be appointed? If Dulloo was not to be given an extension, they could have appointed someone local from here, whether Hindu or Muslim. At least that person would have been a son of the soil,” he said.
He also questioned whether the BJP had raised concerns over local representation in key administrative positions, alleging that the party was following a political narrative instead of highlighting issues specific to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Deputy Chief Minister’s remarks come amid efforts by the National Conference leadership to contain speculation over internal differences and reassure legislators following the recent Cabinet reshuffle. (KDC)