Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 27: The BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit today advocated reservation for the people living along the International Border (IB) and accused the PDP of creating hurdles during the coalition Government’s rule in fulfilling various promises made by the saffron party to the public.
Thanking Governor Satya Pal Malik for providing quota to the Pahari community, BJP’s State chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi said the administration would do justice to the people living in pitiable conditions along the IB by providing reservation to them in line and on par with the residents of the Line of Actual Control.
“This will ensure upliftment of these ignored masses,” he said.
Sethi said his party had promised the residents of areas adjoining the IB that they will be given justice by way of reservation in education and jobs as is available to the resident of Line of Actual Control.
“The BJP is committed to fulfilling all promises made to the people. It was the PDP in the alliance Government which was always creating hurdles in this direction,” he said in statement here.
“In recent times, IB is seeing more firing and infiltration, and the residents of these areas are required to be given benefits for living in such dangerous and risky areas,” the BJP leader said.
He said the nation cannot ignore the immense contributions of border residents who are part of first defence along with security forces and the country is indebted to the high spirit and nationalism exhibited by them.
Meanwhile, the National Panthers Party activists led by chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh Sunday staged a protest against the administration for “failing” to accord Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and reservation in Government jobs to the Kolis community along with Pahari speaking people.