Resolve issue of reservation: Mehbooba to CM Omar

Srinagar, Dec 24: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday asked Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to find a way to resolve the issue of reservation saying leaving the matter for the courts was “very unfortunate”.

Speaking to reporters here, Mufti said the people of J-K, especially the youth, voted for the National Conference (NC) in large numbers in the assembly polls so that there would be rationalisation in the reservation and nobody’s rights would be snatched.

“We do not want any politics in it but we are pushing open merit students to the wall. The chief minister has sought six months’ time. They (NC) have three MPs, including the Ladakh MP and 50 MLAs, why do they need six months? They think a court decision will come by and they will not have to do anything,” Mufti said.

The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J-K said the NC government could have brought an SRO to settle the issue of reservation like what she did in 2018 when she brought SRO-49 for 75 per cent reservation for open merit category in post-graduation.

“What will these (open merit category students) get if there is recruitment of lecturers, police, etc in these six months?

“So, I appeal Abdullah, not to leave this issue to the courts, you have powers, you have the government, you have 50 MLAs, to find a way so that the economically weaker sections who have their own reservation are not affected but the open merit category students should get their share according to the population proportion and they should not wait for the court’s decision,” she said.

She said that it is a serious issue and leaving it for the courts to decide is “very unfortunate”.

“When we send kids to school, we tell them to work hard and achieve their goals with their intelligence. Today, there is no value in hard work and intelligence. Merit has become the biggest casualty at this point in time,” she said.

“Their opportunities have been choked,” she said.

Referring to a protest by NC’s Srinagar MP, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi outside the chief minister’s residence on Monday, Mufti said the people voted for the NC in the Parliament elections as well thinking they would resolve our issues, or at least they would raise those in the Parliament.

“It has been about a year but not one of their MPs has opened his mouth on this issue. It was a duty of the NC MPs to raise this issue in the Parliament as there was direct Central rule in J-K then,” she added.