Srinagar: Recent remarks by People’s Conference (PC) president and MLA Handwara, Sajad Lone, on reservation disparities in Jammu and Kashmir have sparked controversy, with many questioning his sudden change in stance.
Lone, who raised concerns over Kashmiri-speaking populations facing major losses in reservation benefits, had previously been a strong advocate for extending reservations to Paharis and the economically backward. He had even taken pride in facilitating the passage of the bill that enabled these changes, said NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar.
“In the very recent past @sajadlone sb you have been an ardent advocate of reservation for Paharis and Economically Backward. You have taken “pride” in facilitating the “passage of the bill”. Ab yeh natak kis liye? Who are you befooling?,” he tweeted.
Dar argues that Lone’s newfound outrage over the reservation framework seems inconsistent with his earlier push for the same policies.
In the latest post on X, Lone shared a data stating that categories such as scheduled caste (SC), scheduled tribe (ST), economically weaker sections (EWS), and others have seen disproportionate distribution in favor of Jammu. While Jammu received 100% of SC certificates and over 85% of ST certificates, Kashmir’s share remains significantly low. Even within the RBA category, where numbers appear more balanced, Kashmir still falls behind despite its slightly larger population.
Lone has now labelled the reservation system as rigged against Kashmiri-speaking communities, particularly ST and EWS residents in Kashmir. He also pointed out that the committee set up in December 2024 to address grievances has no clear timeline for submitting its report, adding to the growing concerns over systemic imbalances.
