PoK displaced people say felt betrayed by Centre’s decision to reserve only one seat for them in J-K assembly

It said it expected that at least eight seats would be reserved for the PoK displaced people, whose number is around 12 lakh

Jammu: An organisation representing displaced people from Pakistani-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Friday termed as “step-motherly” treatment the Centre’s decision to reserve one seat for the community in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly.

It said it expected that at least eight seats would be reserved for the PoK displaced people, whose number is around 12 lakh, in the assembly.

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“The community is angry with the government of India’s decision. It can not be tolerated. The government should rethink on it,” SOS International chairman Rajiv Chunni told reporters here.

A bill to nominate two members, including a woman, from the Kashmiri migrant community and one member from the displaced persons from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the legislative assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Introducing the bill on behalf of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the bill provides for representation of Kashmiri migrants, displaced persons from PoK and Scheduled Tribes in the legislative assembly of Jammu and Kashmir so as to preserve their political rights as well as their overall social and economic development.

Chunni said, “We have been demanding eight seats as per a provision in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Twenty-four seats were reserved for PoK in the Constitution. We were demanding eight seats out of that quota.” He said the the community felt betrayed by the Centre’s decision He also demanded that the community should have given a Scheduled Tribe status as they are ‘paharis’.

“We are ready to fight for justice as we have population of 12 lakh. People will come on roads. The next course of action will be decided jointly by the community members,” Chinni said.