BJP's Pradeep Bhandari accused J&K CM Omar Abdullah of "lying" on the JKSSB paper leak, pointing to leaks in Congress-allied states. Abdullah had earlier corrected Union Minister JP Nadda on the incident's timeline from 2022.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Thursday hit back at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of "lying" over the recent Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) paper leak controversy.
Bhandari points to leaks in Congress-ruled states
Replying to Abdullah on X (formerly Twitter), Bhandari quoted a news report detailing a statement from the J&K Power Development Department regarding the cancellation of the OMR-based examination for Junior Engineer (Electrical). Bhandari also pointed to paper leak incidents in Congress-ruled states like Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, highlighting that the National Conference (NC) is in an alliance with the Congress. He noted that no resignations or accountability measures were taken in those instances. "Mr. Omar Abdullah, it is sad that you are lying on such a sensitive issue concerning the future of the nation. On August 24, 2025, your own government's Power Development Department stated: 'In view of the above, it has been decided by the Board to cancel the OMR-based Examination for Junior Engineer (Electrical), Power Development Department.' You are in alliance with the Congress. Paper leaks have happened in Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. There have been no resignations and no accountability. Accountability cannot be selective! Debate this on the floor of the House. Stand with the students. Politics can happen some other day," Bhandari wrote.
Abdullah corrects Nadda on timeline of leak
The political exchange follows comments made earlier by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who fact-checked Union Health Minister JP Nadda over the JKSSB paper leak, stating that the incident took place in 2022 under the Lieutenant Governor's administration, not the NC-Congress government. Abdullah also sought an update on the high-level committee constituted to probe the matter.
In a post on X, Abdullah wrote that Nadda was "absolutely correct" about the paper leak, but had got the timeline wrong. "You are absolutely correct about the SSB paper leak in Jammu and Kashmir, JP Nadda ji, but you have got the date wrong. It was 2022. The government wasn't of NC & Congress. It was a government headed by Lt. Governor, but thank you for reminding everyone of this failure. It involved these observations & 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," Abdullah posted. Abdullah also shared a copy of the J&K High Court order in a Writ Petition (Civil), where the court observed that the decision involving Aptech Limited was "malafide" and that changes to tender conditions were intended to favor the respondent.
Background of the 2022 JKSSB controversy
Jammu and Kashmir remained under the Lieutenant Governor's administration following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, until an elected government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assumed office in October 2024.
In March 2022, the JKSSB conducted written examinations for 1,200 Sub-Inspector posts, alongside tests for Finance Accounts Assistants (FAA) and Junior Engineers (JE). Following the declaration of results in June 2022, aspirants staged widespread protests alleging unusually high selection rates from specific districts, including Jammu, Kathua, and Reasi. Based on the findings of a government-appointed Inquiry Committee in July 2022, the J&K administration cancelled the selection lists for 1,200 Sub-Inspectors, 1,300 Junior Engineers, and 1,000 Finance Accounts Assistants.
Nadda questions Opposition's 'selective' approach
The back-and-forth erupted after Union Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday questioned Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over what he termed a "selective" approach to paper leaks, citing the JKSSB exam case. Addressing a press conference, Nadda had said: "If I talk about the paper leak in the Service Selection Board examination in Jammu and Kashmir, where the government is of the Congress and the National Conference..."
Nadda questioned why the Opposition leader had not addressed issues in Congress-governed states: "I'd like to ask the LoP Rahul Gandhi, why are you so selective? Why haven't you discussed the UPA and UPA-supported governments? Why have you distanced yourself from them?"
"This clearly shows that your objective isn't the welfare of students... You want to gain political mileage from student issues and demands, which is unfortunate," Nadda added. (ANI)
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