OBCs feel let down by quota policy

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 31

Even as the BJP on Friday celebrated the decision of the Union Territory (UT) administration to grant 4 per cent reservation to the Pahari-speaking people, members of the other backward classes (OBCs) of J&K announced to launch a “decision battle” against the party for “backstabbing” them.

“This is nothing less than a blatant case of backstabbing the community which had voted overwhelmingly for the BJP in two successive Lok Sabha elections and the 2014 Assembly polls in J&K,” said Prof Kali Dass, general secretary of the J&K unit of the All India Backward Classes Union. He said it was all due to the caste prejudice of the incumbent BJP leadership that weaker sections were once again denied constitutional rights.

The Administrative Council that met under the Lieutenant-Governor GC Murmu on Saturday had approved amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005.

Vice-president of the All India Backward Classes Federation Raj Kumar Chalotra said the BJP had once again betrayed the OBCs after getting their votes. “It was promised that after the abrogation of Article 370, OBCs of J&K would get 27 per cent reservation like in other parts of the country, but the BJP leadership had again backstabbed the OBCs,” he said.

“What is the fun of the abrogation of Article 370 when the provisions of the Indian Constitution are not applied to the J&K?” he said, adding, “Since August 5, the BJP leaders were claiming that the OBCs will be benefited by the abrogation of Article 370, but now the party has been exposed.”