No pressure can work on me, says CM amid reservation row

The review of Jammu and Kashmir’s reservation policy has once again come into focus, with Srinagar MP and National Conference leader Aga Ruhullah on Saturday demanding that the sub-committee report on the issue be made public before any decision is taken on the Budgam by-election.However, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah maintained that his government “does not work under pressure” and that due procedure is being followed.

Earlier this week, Omar announced that his Cabinet had accepted the report prepared by a sub-committee tasked with reviewing the reservation policy. The report, he said, would be sent to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for further consideration.

In 2024, the UT administration under L-G Sinha had approved a 10 per cent reservation for the Pahari community, raising the overall percentage of reserved seats across categories. The move triggered protests from students of the general category, who argued it further reduced opportunities for open merit candidates in government jobs. Following the protests, the government formed a Cabinet sub-committee to address the grievances.

After meeting a delegation of open merit students on Saturday, Ruhullah said, “Before any call is taken on the Budgam by-election, the Reservation Sub-Committee Report must be made public and shared with stakeholders by tomorrow.”

Asked about the issue during a Srinagar press conference, Omar said, “I am the last person you can pressurise to do something. There is a procedure which is being followed. Now it is not only impropriety, it is bordering on illegal, to release information that has not even reached the Lieutenant Governor.”

He added, “Let the Cabinet memo be finalised. Let it be signed. Let it reach the L-G. There is no attempt to delay. The moment the L-G signs the Cabinet memo, all information will be put in front of the people. But we are not going to bypass the procedure just because somebody thinks they can exert pressure.”