J&K Govt’s Agenda Won’t Be Dictated by Social Media: CM Omar Abdullah
Srinagar, Nov 8 — Chief Minister Omar Abdullah declared on Friday that his government’s policy agenda for Jammu and Kashmir would not be influenced by social media trends on platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. Speaking in the Assembly during his response to the Motion of Thanks for the lieutenant governor’s address, Abdullah reassured the public that the National Conference-led government’s focus remains rooted in the needs of the people, not in the opinions of social media users.
“Thank god, I write a lot on Twitter but do not read anything. Our agenda will be set by the people of Jammu and Kashmir, not by social media users,” Abdullah asserted. He advised elected representatives to steer clear of policy decisions based on the “University of WhatsApp and Facebook,” emphasizing that only a small fraction of citizens actively engage on these platforms.
In his address, Abdullah subtly critiqued some People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs, suggesting that social media pressures had caused inconsistencies in their stance on a recent Assembly resolution seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. The chief minister observed a shift in certain leaders’ views, hinting that reactions on WhatsApp and Facebook might be influencing their approach.
Referring to the resolution, he noted that some leaders had initially praised it as “historic” but later reversed their support. “I do not understand how a historic resolution can become a compromise in just 15 minutes,” Abdullah remarked, implying that superficial judgments should not dictate crucial legislative decisions.
The resolution in question reflects Jammu and Kashmir’s resistance to the decisions made by the BJP-led Centre on August 5, 2019, when the abrogation of Article 370 dissolved the region’s special status and led to its reorganization as two Union territories. Abdullah argued that the importance the Centre has placed on this resolution shows it carries weight.
“There’s something in this resolution that prompts the home minister to target us. If it were a mere compromise, there would be no need for discussions. It opens doors rather than closing them, as we avoided using language that would limit us,” he explained.
Abdullah’s statement reaffirms the government’s commitment to upholding the region’s interests, resisting any external or social media-driven influences that might divert focus from critical local issues.
