Political parties National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have expressed their support for legislative assembly representation for displaced people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Kashmiri migrants. However, they contest the proposed reservation process, which they believe should rest with the elected government, not the Lieutenant Governor.
The central government is planning to introduce a bill in Parliament that would amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, reserving two legislative assembly seats for Kashmiri migrants and one for PoK displaced people in the Union Territory.
NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq stated the party supports representation for underrepresented communities, a sentiment echoed by the PDP. However, they take issue with the Lieutenant Governor, a nominated figure, having the power to nominate members to the assembly.
Sadiq insinuated that BJP was using the new reservations to bolster their prospects in the upcoming elections, a strategy he believed would ultimately fail. PDP spokesman Mohit Bhan suggested the proposed form of reservation would only exacerbate mistrust between communities, stating that a broader political approach was needed to address the insecurity and mistrust among them.
Bhan pointed out that the nomination system would likely increase the trust deficit rather than reduce it. Both Bhan and Sadiq opined that the proposed amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was contrary to the spirit of the nation’s constitution. They also criticised the haste with which these changes were being made, particularly given the Act’s ongoing judicial scrutiny in the Supreme Court.
