Amit Shah briefs LS over Bills on J-K, says 'will provide justice, rights to those who were ignored'

PTC News Desk: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday that the two bills on Jammu and Kashmir being debated in the Lok Sabha are about giving rights to those who have faced injustice, been insulted, and ignored.

In response to the debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Home Minister stated that the bills seek to provide justice to those who have been forced to become refugees in their own country.

"I am glad that throughout the whole discussion and debate over the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023, no member opposed the 'tattva' (substance) of the Bill."

He stated that there is a significant difference between giving rights and giving rights respectfully.

"The Bill that I have brought here pertains to bringing justice to and providing rights to those against whom injustice was done, who were insulted and those who were ignored. In any society, those who are deprived should be brought forward. That is the basic sense of the Constitution of India. But they have to be brought forward in a way that doesn't reduce their respect. There is a huge difference between giving rights and giving rights respectfully. So, instead of weak and deprived category renaming it to Other Backward Class is important."

Amit Shah further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands the plight of the poor.

"A few people also tried to underestimate it...someone said that only the name is being changed. I would like to tell all of them that if we have even a little sympathy then we need to see that respect is attached to the name. This can be seen by only those who want to bring them forward considering them like their brothers. Those who use it as a vote bank for their own political benefit...Narendra Modi is a leader who was born into a poor family and became the Prime Minister of the country today. He knows the pain of the poor."

One of the bills seeks to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, which was passed in 2004. It was enacted to provide for reservation in appointment and admission to professional institutions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally backward classes.

The bill proposes to change the nomenclature of "weak and underprivileged classes (social castes)" to "other backward classes" and to make other consequential changes to Section 2 of the Reservation Act.