Reservation policy triggers political showdown between Sajad Lone and Sakeena Itoo

April 5, 2025 by News Desk

A political war of words has erupted in Jammu Kashmir over the contentious issue of reservations, with Peoples Conference chief Sajad Gani Lone and Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo exchanging sharp statements in the backdrop of an ongoing legal battle in the High Court.

Lone, in a post on social media platform X, slammed the JK Government for seeking an “outright dismissal” of a petition challenging the reservation policy in the case of Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and others vs UT of JK. He termed the government’s affidavit “misleading” and questioned why it made no mention of a cabinet subcommittee constituted to review the reservation policy.

“This is a legal mystery. Seems the government is not taking its own committee seriously enough to merit a mention in its legal affidavit,” Lone said, accusing the administration of downplaying the seriousness of the challenge.

Reacting strongly, Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo accused Lone of “misrepresenting facts” and politicizing a sensitive legal process. Speaking to Kashmir News Trust, she said, “Why is Sajad Lone impatient? Let him wait for the committee to submit its report instead of misleading people.”

She clarified that the government’s affidavit, which termed the petition as “frivolous” and “an abuse of judicial process,” did not represent the final position of the administration. “If need arises, the government will file a fresh affidavit in court,” Itoo added.

Itoo acknowledged the need to reform the reservation structure, calling the existing system “irrational.” She emphasized that the cabinet subcommittees’ purpose is to bring fairness and balance to policy and that the government does not endorse the status quo.

“He is frustrated and trying to politicize the issue,” she said, dismissing Lone’s comments as “baseless.”