SRINAGAR, Dec 26: National Conference Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has threatened to stage a sit-in protest outside the Chief Minister’s residence in Srinagar if the government fails to resolve the reservation issue by Saturday.
Reiterating his support for agitating students, the NC MP urged the government to immediately engage with them and provide clarity on measures taken to address their concerns. In a post on X, Ruhullah emphasized that transparent communication from the government is crucial at this stage.
“I will not leave our youth and students helpless. I will walk with them and sit with them this Sunday at the same place where we gathered last year on December 23, to ensure their voices are heard,” Ruhullah wrote, warning that he would personally join the protest if concrete steps are not communicated by Saturday.
The NC MP stressed he has “neither forgotten the students nor abandoned them” amid the ongoing reservation row that has kept educational institutions on edge.
Earlier this month, the Omar Abdullah-led government approved a new reservation framework aimed at correcting what is widely perceived as an imbalanced quota system. However, details of the policy have not been made public yet, fueling student anxiety.
The government has forwarded the proposal to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for approval, but the lack of clarity has prompted warnings from several organizations of protests if the changes are found inadequate or merely cosmetic. A Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted after the NC government assumed office to bring fairness to the reservation policy, but uncertainty continues over its final contours even after months of deliberations.
