The growing demand for revamping the high limit of reservation in government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir has taken a new turn with the ruling National Conference (NC) MP Ruhullah Mehdi announcing that he will sit on dharna with the protestors outside the residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in support of the demand of rationalisation of reservation.

Unrest among the unemployed youth has triggered after the J&K Public Service Commission recently advertised 575 posts of school lecturers out of which only 238 were for open meritorious candidates while 337 were for the reserved categories.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has announced to hold a peaceful sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on December 5, demanding the scrapping of the ”unjust reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir”.

The BJP government at the Centre, before the Lok Sabha polls, had granted reservation in jobs to various additional categories thereby further stretching the reservation quota.

The NC in its Assembly election manifesto had promised relook at the reservation quota. The Omar Abdullah government ,a few days ago increased the upper age limit of various categories to enable more youths to compete for government jobs.

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

Responding to the strike call of various youth organisations, NC MP Ruhullah wrote on X: “And I will sit with all of you outside the office or the residence of HCM (Hon’ble Chief Minister). I have neither forgotten nor backtracked on the issue of Rationalisation of Reservation. Away from the X (Twitter) I have talked with HCM twice and multiple times with other colleagues about this issue. I am told that there is some confusion about the distribution of the rules of business on many issues between the elected government and the other ‘undemocratically imposed office’ and this subject is one among them. I am assured that the government will take a decision to rationalise the policy soon”.

“While I respect the institution of the elected government and their right to make decisions. And I think it is fair and logical to give them some time to find a solution. I, at the same time, understand the urgency of the matter. Therefore, I would request all of you to wait till I attend the Parliament session which starts from 25th November and concludes on 20th December. If the decision is not taken till then, I will sit with all of you outside the residence or the office of the Chief Minister”, he added.

NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah said Ruhullah is from “our” party and he is discharging his duty by raising the public issue.

Reacting to the issue, PDP MLA Waheed Para wrote on X; “Another day, another shocker! Out of 575 lecturer posts referred to JKPSC for recruitment, only 238 are for open merit students, while 337 are reserved. This injustice needs to stop! Fail to understand why is the NC led govt continuing with the BJP introduced reservation policy? Requesting @OmarAbdullah sb to revamp the new reservation policy strictly as per population numbers”.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter and party leader Iltija Mufti said “With the NC government legitimising an inequitable reservation policy, J&K’s youngsters find themselves despondent & distressed. Soaring unemployment & dwindling job opportunities will only exacerbate their worries. Is anyone listening?”

Demand for putting on hold the recruitment of lecturers until the reservation policy was reviewed is growing louder.