JAMMU: BJP spokesperson Gaurav Gupta has demanded a public apology from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his misleading and irresponsible statement regarding the hike in Special Police Officers’ (SPO) honorarium. He stated that the entire episode, from the initial announcement to its abrupt deletion, has not only caused confusion but has also played with the emotions of thousands of SPOs and their families. He was addressing press conference along with Balbir Ram Rattan, BJP Spokesperson and Dr. Pardeep Mahotra, BJP Media Secretary at party headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.
On 30th January, CM Omar Abdullah, through his official Instagram handle, posted an announcement expressing his delight over an increase in the honorarium for SPOs in J&K. Soon after, the official social media handle of the National Conference (NC) also tweeted, claiming it as “another promise fulfilled by the party.” This news sparked a wave of hope and joy among SPOs and their families. However, in a shocking turn of events, both posts were later deleted, and a fresh tweet was issued, acknowledging that the information was incorrect and had been posted without verification. The National Conference also announced the removal of the individual responsible for the misleading post from the position of Social Media Advisor to the Vice President, JKNC.
Gaurav Gupta strongly condemned this irresponsible handling of such an important issue, stating that it reflects a complete lack of seriousness on the part of CM Omar Abdullah towards the hardworking SPOs who play a crucial role in maintaining law and order in J&K. He further emphasized that the honorarium hike for SPOs falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), not the Chief Minister’s domain, raising serious concerns about his awareness of governance protocols. Simply sacking the social media advisor does not absolve him of responsibility. Since the misleading announcement was made through his official handle, BJP demands that CM Omar Abdullah personally issue a public apology to all SPOs and their families for this unfortunate episode.
The BJP stands in solidarity with all SPOs who were misled by this misinformation and assures them that the party remains committed to their welfare. Such deceptive practices must be condemned, and those in power must be held accountable for their words and actions.
