Srinagar, Dec 26:Member of Parliament and senior National Conference leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi on Friday said he would join the ongoing protest by students and unemployed youth on the reservation issue if the government fails to engage with them by Saturday.
In a statement, Ruhullah said he has neither forgotten nor abandoned the students and urged the government to initiate dialogue and clearly communicate the measures taken to resolve the issue. He warned that if no talks are held by Saturday, he would sit with the protesting youth on Sunday at the same venue where a similar protest was held on December 23 last year.
The statement has revived memories of the December 23 protest in 2024, when Ruhullah, along with unemployed youth and leaders from several political parties, staged a sit-in outside the official residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The protest had drawn support from the Peoples Democratic Party, with MLA Waheed Para joining the demonstration, while chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had also backed the demand for rationalisation of reservations.After assuming office, the government constituted a cabinet sub-committee to examine the reservation policy and suggest corrective measures.
Following months of deliberations, the recommendations were finalised and forwarded to the Lieutenant Governor’s office.Reacting to Ruhullah’s remarks, National Conference leader and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq said the proposal had already been cleared by the cabinet and appealed to the Lieutenant Governor’s administration to expedite its approval so that stalled recruitment processes could resume.Ruhullah has emerged as one of the strongest critics of the existing reservation framework in Jammu and Kashmir, repeatedly calling for a rationalisation of quotas in line with population proportions and Supreme Court guidelines that generally cap reservations at 50 per cent.Following the formation of the National Conference government under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in late 2024, a review of the reservation policy was promised.
In December 2025, the cabinet approved a revised framework, including a reduction in quotas under categories such as Economically Weaker Sections and Reserved Backward Areas, with the aim of increasing seats under Open Merit. The proposal was subsequently forwarded to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for final approval.Ruhullah has consistently supported Open Merit candidates who argue that the current system, with reservations exceeding 60 per cent, has significantly reduced their opportunities in government jobs and professional courses, including medical and police recruitments, where the Open Merit share has dropped to nearly 40 per cent in recent notifications.Meanwhile, Education Minister Sakina Itoo accused Aga Ruhullah of creating confusion among educated unemployed youth through his statements. She said the cabinet had already taken a decision on the reservation issue and the file was awaiting approval from the Lieutenant Governor.
“We are functioning under the Union Territory framework and cannot make cabinet decisions public before the LG’s assent,” Itoo said, adding that the youth were already under stress and such remarks only aggravated the situation.
The minister suggested that Ruhullah should approach the Lieutenant Governor’s office directly to seek clarity on the pending approval.
