Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 12: Jammu Kashmir BJP spokesperson, Balbir Ram Rattan has strongly rebutted what he termed as false and misleading remarks made by the National Conference (NC) accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being anti-Scheduled Castes (SCs).
In a statement issued here, today he asserted that it has, in fact, been the National Conference, which has historically given step-motherly treatment to the SC community in Jammu Kashmir.
Balbir Ram said that history stands witness to the fact that SCs never found due place in the programmes and policies of successive governments led by the NC after independence. The NC leadership is trying to mislead the people by leveling baseless allegations against the BJP, but the truth is that their own track record towards SCs has been discriminatory and unjust, he said.
Quoting several instances, Balbir pointed out that nearly 70 per cent of the refugees from West Pakistan belonged to the Scheduled Caste community, yet they were deprived of basic citizenship rights for decades under NC rule. These refugees were denied political rights and social justice, and the NC governments never took sincere steps to address their grievances.
He further stated that political reservation for SCs in the erstwhile State Assembly was not implemented in Jammu & Kashmir for decades and was delayed until 1971, reflecting the indifference of NC towards Constitutional safeguards meant for marginalized sections. No reservation quota was granted to SCs in various posts under the Rehbar schemes, which further deprived eligible candidates from the community of employment opportunities.
Referring to the Budget 2026-2027 presented by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Balbir said that it has failed to mention any concrete welfare measures or targeted schemes for the Scheduled Caste community. This clearly exposes the mindset of the NC leadership, which continues to ignore the aspirations and rights of SCs.
Balbir Ram emphasized that instead of making unfounded allegations against the BJP, the NC leaders should introspect and apologize for their decades-long anti-SC approach.
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