NC, PDP criticise amended domicile law, others welcome

Tribune News Service

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Srinagar/Jammu, April 4

The National Conference (NC) and PDP on Saturday criticised the amended domicile policy saying it as “cosmetic” and “dangerous” while other political parties welcome the move.

Omar Abdullah, vice-president of the NC, urged the Central government to restore statehood to J&K and conduct elections in Jammu and Kashmir as his party termed the late last night amendment to the domicile law as “cosmetic”.

“It’s high time the people of J&K get to decide the laws that will govern them rather than being subjected to the whims and fancies of the Centre where orders are issued in the morning and changes to the same order issued in the evening,” Omar said on Twitter.

The PDP also criticised the new policy and said the domicile legislation “even in its amended form” portrayed the “real intention behind the scrapping of the special status of the erstwhile state”.

“It’s just another round of deceit and betrayal for people of this trouble-torn region after filching their identity and prestige on August 5. They are being robbed of in mid of the night with the stroke of a pen, without their consultation or opinion,” PDP spokesperson and former legislator Firdous Tak said.

Tak said the new domicile law was “so offhandedly drafted that the Union government had to change it within 72 hours”.

However, several other political parties welcomed the amended decision.

Kavinder Gupta, former deputy minister and senior BJP leader, told reporters in Jammu that the BJP had always worked to protect the interests of Jammu people and “it will continue to work in this direction”. “We should welcome the decision taken by the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister,” he said.

Harsh Dev Singh, chairman of the Panthers Party, described the amended domicile law as “pleasant relief for millions of aspiring youth of J&K”. “It is first victory for the youth of J&K who are facing neglect and deprivation at the hands of an unconcerned, apathetic regime at the Centre,” he said.

Former minister and Congress vice-president GM Saroori also welcomed the amendment to reserve all jobs for the citizens of J&K and said the backlash “forced the BJP government to amend the order”.

“We congratulate the people of Jammu and Kashmir for remaining united and forcing the Centre to amend the order for the better future of J&K,” Saroori said.

Happy with the move: Bukhari

• Jammu Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday welcomed the Central government’s move to amend the new domicile order.
• Bukhari, however, pledged to continue his party’s efforts to get the law revisited in its entirety “to remove the remaining loopholes till it satisfies the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir”.