The growing demand to improve the upper limit of reservation in government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir has taken a new turn after Ruling National Conference (NC) MP Ruhollah Mehdi announced that he would not be allowed to stay at the residence of Chief Minister Omar. will sit on a sit-in with the protesters outside. Abdullah supported the demand for rationalization of reservation.

After the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission recently advertised 575 vacancies for school lecturers, the unemployed youth have become restless, out of which only 238 were for open meritorious candidates while 337 were for reserved categories.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has announced a peaceful sit-in at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on December 5, demanding an end to the “unfair reservation policy” in Jammu and Kashmir. .

The BJP government at the Center had given reservation in jobs to various additional categories before the Lok Sabha elections and thus further increased the reservation quota.

The NC had promised to revise the reservation quota in its assembly election manifesto. The Omar Abdullah government had a few days ago raised the upper age limit of various categories to enable more youth to compete for government jobs.

The central BJP leadership has already announced that the UT government will not be allowed to withdraw the reservations approved by the Centre.

Responding to the strike call of various youth organizations, NCMP Ruhollah wrote on X: “And I will sit with all of you outside the office or residence of the HCM (Hon. Chief Minister). I have neither forgotten nor retreated on the issue of reasonableness of reservation. Off X (Twitter) I have spoken to HCM twice and multiple times with other colleagues about this issue. I am told that there is some ambiguity about the division of business rules on many matters between elected government and other ‘undemocratically imposed offices’ and this topic is one of them. I am assured that the government will soon decide to rationalize the policy.

While I respect the institution of elected government and their right to make decisions. And I think it is reasonable and logical to give them some time to find a solution. I, at the same time, understand the delicacy of the matter. So I would request all of you to wait till I attend the session of Parliament starting from November 25th and ending on December 20th. If a decision is not taken by then, I will stage a dharna with all of you outside the Chief Minister’s residence or office.

NC President Dr. Farooq Abdullah said that Roohullah is from “our” party and he is doing his duty by raising public issues.

Reacting to the issue, PDP MLA Waheed Para wrote on X; “Another day, another surprise! Out of 575 lecturer posts sent to JKPSC for recruitment, only 238 are for open merit students, while 337 are reserved. This atrocity must stop! It fails to understand that Why is NC led government continuing reservation policy with BJP?Request @OmarAbdullah sb to strictly change the new reservation policy as per population size.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter and party leader Ilja Mufti said, “With the NC government justifying the unfair reservation policy, the youth of Jammu and Kashmir find themselves increasingly disillusioned and frustrated. Unemployment and dwindling job opportunities will only add to their woes. Is anyone listening?”

The demand for a moratorium on the recruitment of lecturers till the revision of the reservation policy is gaining momentum.