‘Because he is from J&K?’: Deputy CM asks why Chief Secretary was not given extension

Jammu and Kashmir's Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary questioned the Central government's decision not to extend the tenure of Atal Dulloo, a former Chief Secretary of the Union Territory. Choudhary asked why extensions had been granted to officials from other regions but not to Dulloo, who belonged to the Kashmiri Pandit community.

He suggested that if the government wanted a new Chief Secretary, they should have appointed someone from Jammu and Kashmir. Choudhary accused the ruling BJP and some media outlets of focusing only on the National Conference (NC) to create news. He expressed disappointment that local BJP leaders and the media were constantly bringing up discontent among NC MLAs, instead of moving on.

Choudhary pointed out that BJP and the media seem to avoid addressing important issues such as statehood and the representation of local bureaucrats in key administrative positions in the Union Territory. He urged the media to focus on issues that truly affect the people of Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting that there are significant matters like statehood that are not being discussed.

Choudhary, who is known as the ruling party's main representative in the predominantly Hindu Jammu region, has faced criticism from opposition leaders for his comments.