SRINAGAR: Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir were united in denouncing the new domicile policy and asserted that the Centre “humiliated, insulted and marginalised” the people by snatching everything from them.
As per the new rules, anyone who has stayed over 15 years in the Union Territory or has studied for a period of seven years and appeared in class 10th/12th examination in an educational institution in the UT of J&K is now eligible for domicile.
“Talk about suspect timing. At a time when all our efforts & attention should be focused on COVID outbreak, the government slips in a new domicile law for J&K. Insult is heaped on injury when we see the law offers none of the protections that had been promised,” tweeted National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who was released recently after being detained for over seven months. “Even the new party (J&K Apni Party) created with Delhi’s blessings, whose leaders were lobbying in Delhi for this law, have been forced to criticise the domicile law.”
J&K Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari said the order is totally unacceptable. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured Bukhari-led delegation that J&K would have a better domicile policy than other states. Bukhari said the order reflects a casual exercise carried out at bureaucratic level without taking aspirations and expectations of the people into consideration. “It is totally unacceptable. It is antithesis to what PM and HM promised in floor of Parliament.”
Detained PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija, in a series of tweets, claimed the new law is “part of a diabolical demographic project that began on August 5 with Article 370 abrogation”. “Imposing it in times of a global pandemic reveals a callous and paranoid mindset wilfully violating consent to ensure subjugation.”
Ex-BJP ally Sajjad Gani Lone termed the new definition of domicile as “humiliating and insulting”. J&K National Panthers Party chairman Harshdev Singh said the Centre had intentionally unveiled the domicile law knowing fully that the people cannot protest now.
Insult to injury: Srinagar mayor
Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu said the law adds insult to injury of the people. “Doing away with district and divisional recruitment is an affront to concept of affirmative action. The order seems to be a clear intent of conveying yet another serving of humiliation and insult to J&K people after what transpired in August 5 last year,” he said.