Srinagar, June 20: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference President Sajad Lone on Friday criticised the National Conference-led government over its handling of the ongoing reservation policy row, calling their approach “delayed and ambiguous” and warning that no real solution appears forthcoming.
“I had tweeted that this subcommittee report will be made… about a month ago. I said that nothing will come out of it. Now another date will be given or another committee will be made.” He added, “I don’t think they have a solution. Their body language is of delay. Their body language is of ambiguity. It is not of action,” Lone sai while speaking to reporters.
He said that the government cannot present the reservation report to the cabinet unless it has been legally vetted. “You can’t put anything in front of the cabinet that the law hasn’t cleared,” he said, referring to the Sub-Committee (CSC) report currently with the Law Department.
Lone accused National Conference leaders of prioritising image over substance, questioning why a former chief minister’s brother-in-law remained in the CM residence for eight years without formal appointment or legal basis.
Speaking on broader consensus among national parties on reservation, Lone said that it began with policies from 2002 and 2008, with district-wise recruitment initially helping dilute the impact.
He added that district-level hiring should resume, with province-wise reservations for non-gazetted posts and full province-level recruitment for gazetted posts, separating Jammu and Kashmir’s hiring mechanisms.
“Census is going to be done on the basis of caste. We will come directly to 80%… which is reserved.” He also warned against importing reservation norms into Kashmir from other regions, where nearly 100% of reservations stemmed from districts outside the Valley.
Lone further said that affirmative action was necessary but warned against “totally annihilating merit.” He said that current reservations effectively double due to overlapping categories like EWS, OBC and ALC, adding: “You cannot borrow the demographic makeup of J&K and thrust it down the throats of Kashmiri-speaking people.”
Lone urged the government to act decisively and transparently on reservation. “Go back to district recruitment… this will resolve 90% of your problem. Then we can address ST, SC, OBC, EWS issues properly.”(KNS)
