Omar Abdullah contests Union Minister Nadda’s claim on J&K paper leak, asks Centre ‘to engage with protesters’
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday (July 23, 2026) contested the claim of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday (July 23, 2026) contested the claim of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda over the J&K paper leak and asked the Centre to hold talks with protesting students in Jantar Mantar. “You are absolutely correct about the SSB (Service Selection Board) paper leak in J&K Nadda ji but you have got the date wrong. It was 2022. The government wasn’t of NC and Congress.
It was a government headed by Lt. Governor but thank you for reminding everyone of this failure,” said Mr. Abdullah, in a post on X. Positing a court observation, Mr. Abdullah said, “It involved these observations and orders of the J&K High Court. We have no idea what happened to the High-Level Committee or its report. Perhaps you can share that with us in your next press conference.” Matter with CBI The Chief Minister was referring to Mr. Nadda’s speech on Wednesday (July 22) where he blamed the J&K government for the paper leak.
“In fact, investigations had already been conducted and the matter was with the CBI,” said Mr. Abdullah. Meanwhile, Mr. Abdullah welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of fast-track courts in the NEET paper leak scandal. “It is a good thing that the Prime Minister has said youth is important. Now the government should sit with them, talk to them and address their concerns instead of ignoring them,” he said. Abdullah added that “dialogue, not retaliation, is the way forward, and peaceful protesters deserve to be heard”.
J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has backed the ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar. “Democracy is being strangulated by brute force. It’s time to stand up to those in power. Ironically, Rahul Gandhi’s message to Gen Z ‘Daro mat’ has come full circle,” said Ms. Mufti.
The BriefWire