J-K New Reservation Row: MP Aga Ruhullah joins students’ protest, demands quota policy revamp

NEW DELHI: Srinagar member of Parliament (MP) Aga Ruhullah has joined the students' protest outside the residence of chief minister Omar Abdullah in Kashmir today, demanding rationalisation of the newly introduced reservation policy.

Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association (JKSA) demanded the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister for an urgent review and suspension of new recruitments, highlighting the reduction in opportunities for the open category students under the current reservation criteria.

Earlier this month, the Jammu and Kashmir government approved the appointment of a sub-committee comprising three state ministers Sakina Masood, Javed Ahmed Rana, and Satiish Sharma, to examine the grievances raised by a group of aspirants regarding the reservation rule for various posts in the government services.

The protest by National Conference (NC) leader Ruhullah comes weeks after the Jammu and Kashmir government formed a cabinet sub-committee for review of the reservation, the ETV Bharat reported. However, he had announced plans to stage a peaceful protest with students against the NC-led government over the reservation policy a month ago, the report added.

During the protest, Ruhullah said: "People's aspirations must be given importance. We hope that the government will listen to us and will address our aspirations,” the ANI reported.

“We are here - to the government which was formed by us. We need the government to work for the people. We are here with the hope that we have replaced dictatorship through you (the J-K Govt)... I don't want chaos…,” he added.

Requesting students to raise their voice against the new reservation policy, Ruhullah said, “We have seen a punitive calm here. If the students think that they need to talk about reservations - why are we being called as if we are here to create a divide?... I thank Iltija Mufti for extending her support to this protest."