Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for a thorough investigation into fresh threats targeting Kashmiri Pandits while defending the recent electricity tariff hike, saying the increase was a “compulsion” and not something the government wanted.
Abdullah addressed the two major issues facing the Union Territory while urging vigilance over security concerns and explaining the government’s position on the revised power tariffs.
Omar Abdullah seeks probe into Kashmiri Pandit threats
Kashmiri Pandits, who faced mass displacement during the 1990s due to terrorism, are once again facing fresh threats allegedly issued by terror outfits.
Following the killing of two non-local labourers in Kulgam in late July 2026, threat letters attributed to groups linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, including the TRF and the so-called United Liberation Council, circulated online.
The letters named Kashmiri Pandit employees working under the Prime Minister’s Package and published their phone numbers and other personal details.
A second letter that surfaced on August 23 escalated concerns further by including residential addresses, including house numbers and street names, in Jammu and the Valley. The communication also labelled migrant Kashmiri Pandits as “white-collar terrorists” and “traitors”.
Addressing the issue, Abdullah stressed that such threats must not be taken lightly. While pointing towards the administration of the Lieutenant Governor, he said the emergence of such communications raised serious questions, particularly amid repeated claims that terrorism has ended in Kashmir.
“These threats should not come, but the law-and-order machinery, security arrangements, the police, and our intelligence agencies should not take these things lightly,” he said.
Abdullah said a full investigation was necessary to establish the source of the threats and stressed that protecting all employees was a major responsibility of the police.
He recalled that around two-and-a-half years ago, under similar circumstances, some Kashmiri Pandit employees were targeted, causing significant harm and forcing employees to remain confined to camps.
While noting that law and order falls directly under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration, Abdullah urged the authorities not to treat the latest threats lightly and to conduct a thorough probe.
He also stressed the need to ensure proper security arrangements for employees who have been named in the threats.
Omar defends electricity tariff hike
Abdullah is also facing criticism from opposition parties, including the PDP and Apni Party, over the recent increase in electricity tariffs.
The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has approved an average 6.83 per cent increase in retail electricity tariffs for Jammu and Kashmir, effective from September 1, 2026.
The hike has also drawn criticism from some members of the ruling National Conference, who have linked it to the party’s 2024 election promise of providing 200 free units of electricity to households.
Responding to the criticism, Abdullah clarified that the government had never promised that electricity tariffs would not increase.
“When did we say that electricity rates would not increase? We had said that the poorest people, those who need it the most, would get 200 units free,” he stated.
He explained that the free electricity scheme would be implemented through solar panels and would remain separate from the tariff revision. Beneficiaries covered under the free power scheme, he said, would continue to receive the benefit.
Abdullah also pointed out that previous governments had increased electricity tariffs by more than 14 per cent, while a 15 per cent hike had been implemented around four years ago without the level of protest being seen over the current increase.
He said the government had raised tariffs by the minimum possible amount despite wider inflation and rising prices of oil and other essential goods.
“We are not celebrating this increase in electricity rates. It was a compulsion for us. As losses in the power sector come down, the need for such steps will reduce,” he added.
Opposition protests tariff hike
Earlier, PDP and Apni Party leaders and workers took to the streets carrying banners against the electricity tariff increase.
They criticised the Omar Abdullah government and recalled the National Conference’s 2024 election promise of providing 200 units of free electricity to households.
The opposition parties argued that instead of delivering free electricity, the government had increased power tariffs.
