Srinagar
Former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday lashed out at the Centre over new domicile rules for Jammu and Kashmir at a time when the nation is pooling all resources to stave off the coronavirus pandemic.
Taking to social networking site Twitter, Omar wrote, “Talk about suspect timing. At a time when all our efforts & attention should be focused on the #COVID outbreak the government slips in a new domicile law for J&K. Insult is heaped on injury when we see the law offers none of the protections that had been promised.”
Talk about suspect timing. At a time when all our efforts & attention should be focused on the #COVID outbreak the government slips in a new domicile law for J&K. Insult is heaped on injury when we see the law offers none of the protections that had been promised.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 1, 2020
“You can imagine how hollow the domicile law is from the fact that even the new party created with Delhi’s blessings, whose leaders were lobbying in Delhi for this law, have been forced to criticise the #JKdomicilelaw,” Omar tweeted.
The government on Wednesday issued a gazette notification announcing a slew of amendments to 138 Acts of Jammu and Kashmir that included protecting jobs up to Group-4 for only those who are domicile of the union territory.
According to the change in laws, anyone who has resided for 15 years in Jammu and Kashmir or has studied for seven years and appeared in Class 10 and Class 12 examinations in an educational institution located in the union territory is a domicile. Also, those registered as a migrant by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) will also be deemed to be a domicile.
