The Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission’s proposal to reserve nine Assembly seats to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes has been hailed widely. To express their gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, members of the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities turned up in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Union Minister Krishan Pal Gurjar said, “A large number of people of Gujjar Bakerwal community live in Jammu and Kashmir. They had many demands continuously over the years. Governments came and went but no one paid attention to their problems or demands. PM Modi has listened to all our demands and granted forest rights and ST reservation.”
Talking to mediapersons, Gurjar said, “Modi government is working on giving them reservation in the next assembly elections. That’s why today the Bakerwal and Gurjar Samaj came to Delhi to meet the PM. I also belong to the Gujjar community, so these people have asked me to convey their thanks to PM.”
Ashish Sood, party co-in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir said, “The work of giving political rights to Gurjar and Bakarwal tribal community has been done. There is happiness in entire Jammu and Kashmir.
”Chaudhary Salamuddin, a resident of Kupwara said, “Modi Ji has done us a great favour. Today we have come to thank him for the political reservation proposed for us by the Modi government. We will always support this government.”
Sardar Khan, state president of All India Gujjar Mahasabha said, “We had some fears. Earlier there were some people who ruled and allowed militancy for 47 years. They kept suppressing us but now we are so happy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government thinks about us. That is why we came to Delhi to thank him.”
Meanwhile, the Commission’s proposals have not gone down well with Kashmir political parties. Criticising the move, former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the Commission was pursuing the BJP agenda.
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