Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday once again ruffled the feathers of the ruling National Conference by not inviting chief minister Omar Abdullah to a security review meeting.

Sinha addressed the high-level meeting at the police control room in Srinagar, a day after a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) killed two army men on the Line of Control in Jammu.

The army on Wednesday identified the slain soldiers as Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi and Naik Mukesh Singh Manhas. A spokesperson said they had “made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army”. White Knight Corps commander Navin Sachdeva laid wreathes on their coffins in Jammu.

In Srinagar, Sinha chaired the review meeting, which was attended by senior officers from the police, army, Central Reserve Police Force and other security agencies. Elaborate security arrangements were made for the meeting.

The NC took objection to the apparent rebuff as the chief minister was again not invited, highlighting the party’s helplessness as it is being hounded by the Opposition over rights violations by the forces while the LG’s administration refuses to offer a seat to it at the decision-making table.

Omar’s political adviser Nasir Aslam Wani said the chief minister should have been invited. Wani said his government acknowledged that the LG was responsible for overseeing law and order. “But in principle, Omar Abdullah sahab should have been invited to the meeting due to his vast experience in handling security matters in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said the restoration of statehood was unlikely to end militancy, asking why killings continue despite the changes, hinting at the abrogation of Article 370. “Only yesterday one of our soldiers was martyred,” he told a news agency. Farooq said people’s help was needed to restore normalcy in the region.