Even as the demand for rationalization of existing reservation rules has erupted into a big political controversy in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, two national parties, Congress and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) have maintained guarded silence on this issue.
Although senior Congress leader and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Ahmed Mir has dubbed National Conference Lok Sabha member Aga Ruhullah Mehdi’s protest as “drama”, his party leaders are hesitating to openly speak against or in favour of the existing reservation policy.
“The Jammu and Kashmir Government has already constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee to look into the matter. We have to wait for the recommendation of the panel” chief spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Ravinder Sharma told International Bussiness Times.
“We hope that the Cabinet Sub-Committee will seek feedback from all sections of the society to submit its recommendation,” Sharma said and added that the aspirations of all sections of the society should be fulfilled.
While seeking to maintain a distance from a protest staged by the National Conference Lok Sabha member from Srinagar Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Kara said that it was an internal matter of the ruling party.
“We don’t want to comment on the internal matter of the National Conference, similarly. We also expect no one to comment on our internal matters,” Kara said.
Terming the basis of the reservation as “census”, Kara said, “Rahul Gandhi has been pushing the entire country for the caste census. He has made it clear that reservation should be given on the basis of the population.”
BJP waiting for Cabinet Sub-Committee’s recommendation
The principal opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP is neither openly supporting the agitating students nor opposing their demand of the rationalization of the reservation.
National general secretary of BJP Tarun Chugh has warned the J&K Government against fiddling with the rights of Dalits, Gujjars, and Paharis but the party has yet not clear its stand on ongoing controversy.
“Reservation rules should be as per the constitution”, BJP leaders repeatedly said while reacting to the questions of the media persons on the demand of the agitating students of Open Merit Category.
As the BJP-led government at the Centre had granted Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari-speaking tribe, party leaders are not ready to oppose the existing reservation rules in Jammu and Kashmir.
Wishing anonymity a senior BJP leader said that instead of indulging into this controversy the party has decided to maintain a guarded silence on this contentious issue.
“Let the government headed by Omar Abdullah handle this issue. We are waiting for the recommendation of the three-member Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted by the Omar Abdullah government”, he said, adding, “The Party will clear its stand only after the Omar Abdullah government would take any action on the existing reservation rules”.
Important to mention here that on February 6 this year, the Lok Sabha passed the much-awaited “Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Schedule Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023”.
After the passing of this much-publicized bill, the “Pahari ethnic group,” “Paddari Tribe,” “Koli,” and “Gadda Brahman” communities were included in the Scheduled Tribe List of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The historic bill was introduced in Parliament by Arjun Munda, the Minister of Tribal Affairs, on July 17, 2023.
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