Srinagar, Jun 20: People’s Conference (PC) president Sajad Lone on Friday criticised the National Conference-led government for its handling of the ongoing reservation policy row, calling its 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 said while speaking to reporters. “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 said 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.
The PC chief accused the NC 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 a formal appointment or legal basis.
Speaking on the broader consensus among national parties on reservation, Lone said it began with policies from 2002 and 2008, with district-wise recruitment initially helping dilute the impact.
“The 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,” he said.
The MLA Handwara said the census is going to be done on the basis of caste. “We will come directly to 80%… which is reserved,” he said.
He 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 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.”
The PC president urged the government to act decisively and transparently on the reservation. “Go back to district recruitment… this will resolve 90% of your problem. Then we can address ST, SC, OBC and EWS issues properly,” he said.
