Mehbooba Mufti Alleges 25,000 Backdoor Appointments by NC Government
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday alleged that the National Conference (NC) government has made 25,000 “backdoor appointments” in the Union territory over the past 25 months. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, she claimed these appointments were made without proper advertisement or interviews, bypassing standard recruitment procedures.
Details of Alleged Backdoor Appointments
Mufti stated, “There are about 25,000 backdoor entries in 25 months (of their government). I have orders, but I do not want to disclose their identities for their protection. Also, no other candidates were interviewed.” She emphasized that these were not ordinary posts but vacancies in government departments across Jammu and Kashmir, which the government distributed among ministers, MLAs, and alliance partners. She also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a share in these appointments, explaining their silence on the issue.
Mechanism of Alleged Appointments
The PDP chief claimed that her party received complaints about these appointments, with the government allegedly taking two to three lakh rupees from candidates. Around 200 private outsourcing agencies were utilized for this process. “For some time, a website remained open where candidates were asked to fill out forms. Once they submitted the form, the site would close,” she said. Mufti alleged that the government provided its list to the outsourcing agencies, which then processed the recruitment. She named individuals referred to as “Ramzan sahib” and “Ayush sahib” but refrained from disclosing their designations, adding that people in various departments, including PROs and secretaries, took lists from MLAs and passed them to the agencies.
Demand for Action
Mufti demanded an immediate halt to such backdoor appointments. “Such backdoor appointments should be stopped, and there should be action if (chief minister) Omar (Abdullah) is not himself patronising it,” she said. She urged the government to ensure transparency in recruitment processes.
Comments on Kashmiri Pandits' Return
Regarding the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, Mufti remarked that certain “lobbies” among the Pandits were trying to “weaponise” their pain to further their own agendas. “It is good that Kashmiri Pandits are coming here now. But there are some lobbies among the Kashmiri Pandits, some people who, to run their own agenda, want to weaponise their pain. The Kashmiri Pandits should isolate them. Also, they should stop looking into the past and look towards the future. About 99 per cent of those killed in J&K are Muslims. Only one per cent were our Pandit brothers, whose population is very small,” she added.
