J&K Assembly Session Opens Amid Uproar: Opposition Storms House Over Jobs, Reservation Policy & Power Tariffs…
The autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly began in Srinagar on Monday 21st September with amid widespread uproar and protests. The seven-day session, scheduled to run from September 21st to September 30th, 2026, is scheduled to consist of seven sittings. Opposition and local parties have launched a campaign against the Omar Abdullah government over issues such as the state’s reservation policy, job shortages, rising electricity bills, and the regularization of daily wage workers. As soon as the assembly session began, BJP MLAs stormed the well of the House and shouted slogans against the government, protesting against job outsourcing, the safety of National Health Mission (NHM) employees, and the increase in electricity tariffs, forcing Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to adjourn the House. People’s Democratic Party organized a large march on the Srinagar streets Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) also organized a large march on the streets of Srinagar. Led by PDP leader Iltija Mufti, youth and protesters denounced the current reservation policy as “unjust.” Protesters allege that due to the current quota, only 30% of seats are reserved for students from the general category (Open Merit), while 70% have been allocated to reserved categories. The PDP has demanded that the confidential report of the Cabinet sub-committee formed to review the reservation policy be immediately made public. Furthermore, the decision to reduce the age limit for government examinations from 38 to 32 years has also sparked widespread anger among the youth. People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone has also sharply criticized the current recruitment process. He accused the government of deliberately excluding youth from the Kashmir Valley from jobs, calling it “recruitment apartheid.” Opposition parties say the government is reneging on its election promises to provide employment to youth. They pointed out that the recent recruitments have seen very few selections compared to the Kashmir region, which constitutes 56% of the population, and they are raising this issue in the House. Meanwhile, amid widespread attacks, the Omar Abdullah government has issued its clarification. Government spokespersons and ministers say that the government has been in power for only a month. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has issued strict instructions to all ministers to address unemployment. Additionally, the process of submitting vacant positions in various departments to the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Service Selection Board (SSB) has been expedited. The government has assured that significant changes and jobs will be seen on the ground within the next two months.