Omar Abdullah contests Union Minister Nadda’s claim on J&K paper leak, asks Centre ‘to engage with protesters’
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah challenged Union Minister J.P. Nadda's claims regarding a 2022 paper leak, urging the central government to engage in dialogue with protesting students. The dispute highlights ongoing political tensions between the regional government and the Centre regarding youth employment and exam integrity.
Why it matters
The conflict underscores the political sensitivity of student protests and the broader struggle for accountability in public service recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir.
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.”
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