Islamabad: The Modi-led Indian government’s decision to grant expanded powers to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has been widely criticized as part of New Delhi’s ongoing efforts to further centralize control in the territory, effectively diminishing the voice of the Kashmiri people.
According to a statement by Kashmir Media Service, in July 2024, the Indian government introduced significant amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, granting the LG unprecedented authority over key administrative matters, including the transfer of All India Service officers, judicial appointments, and law enforcement. Under the new framework, any proposal requiring the Finance Department’s approval in areas such as police, public order, and anti-corruption must be routed through the LG via the Chief Secretary.
This move has sparked strong reactions, with critics arguing that it undermines the already limited role of the elected government in IIOJK. Many political analysts contend that the changes reduce the Chief Minister to a mere figurehead, with real decision-making power now firmly vested in the unelected LG.
The centralization of power in the hands of the LG is widely seen as a strategic maneuver by the BJP-led government in New Delhi to maintain its dominance over the occupied territory, particularly after its disappointing performance in the 2024 assembly elections. Observers suggest that the move is designed to ensure that political authority remains firmly in New Delhi’s control, despite setbacks at the polls.
Rekha Chowdhary, former political science professor at Jammu University, described the amendments as part of a broader effort to “ensure the continuity of central control” in IIOJK. Prominent Kashmiri political commentator Noor Ahmad Baba also condemned the move, warning that it further undermines democratic processes, leaving the Chief Minister with “no real power” and solidifying the LG’s position as the true decision-maker.
Critics argue that these amendments are part of a larger pattern of political, constitutional, and cultural disempowerment that began with the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019. The latest changes, they assert, are a clear attempt to strip away Kashmiri autonomy and identity, while consolidating power under the BJP-led Indian government in New Delhi.
Opponents of the amendments have condemned them as a “murder of democracy” in IIOJK, warning that the region’s governance will become increasingly ineffective as the unelected LG assumes the role of a “Super Chief Minister.” Political analysts are urging the people of Kashmir and their leaders to remain vigilant and resist the growing centralization of power, which they say threatens the democratic and political rights of the Kashmiri population.