NC MP to join protest on reservation issue outside CM’s residence

FIle photo of J&K National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi.
| Photo Credit: Imran Nisar

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) parliamentarian Syed Aga Ruhullah on Sunday (December 22, 2024) announced to he would join a sit-in protest outside the residence of his party’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah against the prevalent reservation scheme that allegedly discriminates against open merit category students in Jammu and Kashmir. 

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Mr. Ruhullah, the MP from Srinagar, requested all protesters “to maintain civility and focus on raising genuine demands for a rational reservation policy”. “To those who seek to exploit this issue for political gains: I welcome you to step out tomorrow and step away from rhetoric. Show your sincerity where it matters — the streets,” Mr. Ruhullah said, in an oblique reference to Opposition parties, mainly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC).

The NC leader has said he would join the protest outside the CM’s residence if the issue had not been resolved by Sunday (December 22). “Over the past month, I’ve observed a range of reactions to the formation of the sub-committee [by the government]. To those who believe that the issue remains unaddressed in a satisfactory manner: I stand by my commitment. Tomorrow, I will join the people in a peaceful and dignified attempt to demand answers on their issues from the government,” Mr. Ruhullah said.

Scores of open merit category students’ bodies have supported Mr. Ruhullah’s protest call. A spokesperson of the J&K Students Association, which has extended its “full support” to the protest, appreciated the NC leader for his “principled stand” and his decision to “stand with the people by addressing their concerns in a peaceful and dignified manner”. “We firmly support the call for rationalising the unjust reservation policy, which is crucial for ensuring social justice and equal opportunities for all. We stand united with everyone raising genuine concerns over this critical issue,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, J&K CM Omar Abdullah decided to cancel his upcoming Jammu schedule due to the bone-chilling cold wave that has gripped the Kashmir Valley. He has assured aggrieved students and aspirants that he would look into the issue of reservation.

“It has come to my attention that a protest is being planned in Srinagar to highlight the sense of injustice surrounding the reservation policy. Peaceful protest is a democratic right and I would be the last person to deny anyone that right but please protest knowing that the issue has not been ignored or swept under the carpet. Your government is doing what any responsible government would do — making sure everyone is heard and a fair decision arrived at after completing due process,” Mr. Abdullah said.

The J&K Chief Minister said he understood the emotions surrounding the reservation issue. “JKNC had committed to examining all aspects of it in our manifesto released before the Assembly election. It is as a continuation of this commitment that a Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted to move towards fulfilling this promise. That sub-committee was only recently notified and is in the process of starting its work by engaging with all stakeholders,” Mr. Abdullah said.

He pointed out that the reservation policy had also been challenged in the High Court of J&K and Ladakh. “We will, of course, be bound by any judgment when the final legal options have been exhausted,” he added.

The Centre’s decision to add communities to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category, and to add the Pahari community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list under a new quota has shrunk the open merit category to around 40% in J&K.

Open merit category students maintain the Supreme Court’s 1992 ruling ensures reservations could not exceed 50%, and anything above it violated equal access as guaranteed by the Constitution.