Srinagar- Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday lashed out at the National Conference (NC)-led government for defending the controversial reservation policy in the High Court, even as a Cabinet sub-committee looks into the matter following public protests.
The Social Welfare Department, in an affidavit submitted before the court, described a writ petition challenging the policy as “mischievous” and “frivolous,” accusing the petitioners of attempting to “abuse the judicial process.” The government has urged the court to dismiss the plea titled Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and Others vs UT of J&K and Others.
The affidavit has sparked political uproar, especially since the government had recently formed a Cabinet sub-committee, headed by Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo, to review the reservation policy. The policy currently allocates 70 percent of available quotas to various groups — a move that has drawn sharp criticism from sections of civil society and political leaders.
Calling the panel a “facade,” PDP MLA from Pulwama, Waheed Para, accused the government of misleading the public. “The J&K government now defends a deeply flawed reservation policy in court. The so-called Cabinet Committee was nothing but a facade to mislead the public,” Para posted on X. “Now, they’re seeking to dismiss the writ petition as baseless — another blatant attempt to sabotage the future of meritorious students in J&K.”
Echoing similar concerns, Peoples Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone questioned the government’s sincerity. “Nowhere has the government mentioned the formation of a sub-committee on reservations. This is a legal mystery. Seems the government is not taking its own committee seriously enough to merit a mention in its legal affidavit,” he said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Minister Sakina Itoo said the Cabinet sub-committee would meet with various delegations on Sunday to discuss the concerns and collect inputs. “The meeting will focus on addressing key issues and gathering feedback on reservation-related matters,” she posted on X.
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