After a long debate, the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation and Reorganization Amendment Bill 2023 was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. During the debate on the bill in the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that this bill is a bill to provide justice to the people. It was ignored for 70 years. Amit Shah said that in this bill we have talked about judicial delimitation. In this bill, two seats have been reserved for Kashmiri displaced people.
Many leaders of Jammu and Kashmir have welcomed this decision of the government. Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Rajeev Pandita said that we welcome the passing of this bill. This is a big day for Kashmiri Pandits. Regarding the decision to reserve two seats for Kashmiri Pandits in the Assembly, he said that this bill will politically empower the Kashmiri community.
This is a welcome step, we are happy with the decision – Dr. Bhatt
At the same time, Dr. TK Bhatt, former general secretary of All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference, also expressed happiness over the passing of this bill in the Lok Sabha. He said that this bill will restore the political heritage of the Kashmiri community in the valley, which was already destroyed. On the other hand, Congress KP Minority Cell chief Heera Lal Hanglu expressed happiness. He said that this is a welcome step. We are happy with the decision.
We are not against it- Omar Abdullah
Meanwhile, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said that his party is not against reserving seats in the Assembly for the displaced people of PoK, but he believes that this decision should be left to the elected government. He said that we used to hear about taking back PoK. Now, does it stop at reservations only?
24 seats reserved for PoK
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that 9 seats in the Assembly have been reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST). 24 seats have been reserved for POK because POK is ours. He said that these two amendments will be remembered by every Kashmiri who is oppressed and backward. The Home Minister said that by giving reservation to the displaced people, their voice will resonate in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
Shah said that if terrorism had been dealt with from the beginning without thinking about the vote bank, Kashmiri Pandits would not have had to leave the valley. Let us inform that in the new bill, assembly seats have been increased from 37 to 43 in Jammu region and from 46 to 47 in Kashmir region.
