National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, 9 September, announced that he will vacate his government accomodation in Srinagar before the end of October. Sharing his letter address to the administration, written in July, Abdullah tweeted:
“My letter to the J&K administration. I will be vacating my government accommodation in Srinagar before the end of October. The point to note is that contrary to stories planted in the media last year I received no notice to vacate and have chosen to do so of my own accord.”
WHAT DID THE LETTER SAY?
In his letter, Abdullah had pointed out that he was allotted the accommodation in 2002, when he was MP from the Srinagar constituency. He also used the complex and the adjoining house as the official residence of the chief minister from October 2010 to January 2015…as "the rules allowed for me to retain an accommodation in Srinagar or Jammu and I chose to retain an accommodation in Srinagar".
Further, Abdullah wrote:
“Consequent upon the change of entitlements for former CMs on Jammu and Kashmir some months ago, I now find myself in unauthorised occupation of this accommodation, as no attempt has been made to regularise the allotment to me on security and other grounds.”
Abdullah also added: "This is a situation that is unacceptable to me. I have never held on to any government property I was not entitled to and I have no intention to start now.”
BACKGROUND
Omar Abdullah was released from detention, after nearly eight months, on 24 March. He had been detained along with many other political leaders in the aftermath of abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti is still under detention.
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