BJP to take up Kashmiri Pandit employees’ transfer issue with Home Minister

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, January 1

Facing backlash from Kashmiri Pandit employees who fled the Valley after a spate of targeted killings last year and have been protesting since then in Jammu, senior BJP leaders are set to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah soon to take up the issue. The meeting date has not been fixed. Sources say the date will be communicated to the J&K BJP in a day or two.

Sources in the J&K BJP have confirmed that the issue of Kashmiri Pandit and other Hindu employees will be taken up in the meeting which is expected to take place in the coming days.

Kashmiri Pandit and reserved category employees from Jammu, who had been posted in the Valley for years, had to flee after terrorists began targeting them, leaving a few of them dead. While the Kashmiri Pandit employees are protesting in Jammu at the office of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, the reserved category employees are protesting at Ambedkar Chowk for months demanding relocation to Jammu.

The employees had staged a protest in front of the BJP office in Jammu last week, raising slogans against the saffron party.

BJP’s UT chief Ravinder Raina had promised these employees that he would take up the matter with the Central Government.

“There are many issues that are expected to be taken up during the meeting with the Union Home Minister. Besides discussing the structure of the party and strengthening it, the issue of Kashmiri Pandit employees working in the Valley under the PM employment package and reserved category employees will also be raised during the meeting,” said a senior BJP leader.

BJP national general secretary and J&K affairs in-charge Tarun Chugh, who was told about the demands of Kashmiri Pandit employees, had told media in Jammu that the party would consider the demands of these employees and discuss it with the government.

Besides Ravinder Raina, former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and few other leaders are expected to meet Amit Shah in New Delhi.

Meeting soon

• Though the date for J&K BJP leaders’ meeting with Amit Shah hasn’t been scheduled, sources say it may be finalised in a day or two.
• BJP’s UT chief Ravinder Raina had recently promised the employees that he would take up the matter with the Centre.
• BJP leader Tarun Chugh had recently said the employees’ demands would be considered.

No let-up in protests

• Due to targeted killing of Hindu employees in the Valley, a large number of Kashmiri Pandits and reserved category staff had fled to Jammu last year.
• They have been protesting in Jammu for over seven months demanding transfer from Kashmir, but the government hasn’t acceded to their demands.