Political tensions escalated in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday as several parties criticised the National Conference (NC) government for defending its controversial reservation policy in the high court. The Social Welfare Department, representing the administration, submitted an affidavit backing the current reservation framework, which allocates 70 percent quota to various categories.

The affidavit was filed in response to a writ petition titled Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and Others versus Union Territory of J&K and Others. In it, the government described the petition as “frivolous in nature,” “mischievous,” and filed with “an intent to abuse the judicial process.” The administration urged the high court to dismiss the case.

This legal defence comes even as public discontent over the policy led to protests across the region, prompting the formation of a Cabinet subcommittee. Headed by Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo, the committee was tasked with reviewing the reservation system. However, the political opposition has accused the government of undermining its own subcommittee’s purpose by not acknowledging it in its court affidavit.

Political Leaders Criticise Government's Approach

People's Democratic Party (PDP) legislator from Pulwama, Waheed Para, denounced the government’s stand in court, calling the Cabinet subcommittee “a facade to mislead the public.” Para stated on the social media platform X, “The J-K government now defends a deeply flawed reservation policy in court. The so-called Cabinet Committee was nothing but a facade to mislead the public. Now, they're seeking to dismiss the writ petition as baseless — another blatant attempt to sabotage the future of meritorious students in J-K.”

Sajad Lone, Peoples’ Conference chief and MLA from Handwara, also took to X to express his concerns. He pointed out a significant omission in the government’s affidavit. “Nowhere has the government mentioned the formation of a subcommittee on reservations. This is a legal mystery. Seems the government is not taking its own committee seriously enough to merit a mention in its legal affidavit,” he wrote.

Their criticism reflects a broader sentiment among opposition leaders who argue that the government’s actions in court contradict its public assurances of reviewing the reservation framework through the Cabinet panel.

Cabinet Committee to Hold Consultations

In the midst of the controversy, Minister Sakina Itoo announced that the Cabinet subcommittee will continue its work and is scheduled to meet delegations on Sunday at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC). The purpose of the meeting is to collect inputs and address key concerns related to the reservation issue.

Itoo confirmed the upcoming session on X, stating, “The Cabinet sub-committee on reservation will be meeting with some delegations at SKICC tomorrow. The meeting will focus on addressing key issues and gathering inputs on reservation-related matters.”

As the legal and political battle over the reservation policy intensifies in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference-led administration finds itself under fire from both inside and outside the legislative corridors. With the Cabinet subcommittee pushing ahead with consultations and the matter simultaneously being contested in court, the government faces mounting pressure to strike a balance between legal defence and public accountability.