Pitching for equal opportunities for all, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) on Monday demanded 27% reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) category people in Jammu and Kashmir. “The Government should give 27% reservation to the OBC community in J&K like the rest of the States. The community has been deprived of their rights since the last seven decades and their demand should now be fulfilled,” demanded Former Minister and Provincial President, J&K Apni Party, Manjit Singh. He was accompanied by former Minister and JKAP senior leader Mohammed Dilawar Mir, Ex-MLC and JKAP General Secretary Vijay Bakaya, JKAP General Secretary Vikram Malhotra, Shanker Singh Chib, Abhay Bakaya, Ajaz Kazmi, Raqeeq Ahmed Khan, Sohan Singh, Bodh Raj Bhagat, Sukresh Rana, Gourav Kapoor and others to welcome OBC community members and Janta Dal leaders in the Party. The joining was facilitated by JKAP senior leader Madan Lal Chalotra in a function which was presided over by Party’s Provincial President Manjit Singh. Prominent among those who joined the JKAP include Tilak Raj, Chaman Lal, Anil Changotra, Jaspal Singh, Avtaar Singh, Prem Sagar, Vijay Kumar, Akshay Sharma, Dev Raj Sharma, Kamal Kumar, Raman Kumar, Asha Rani, Sukh Dev Kumar, Mohinder Pal, Jagmeet Singh and Tilak Raj. Meanwhile, Janta Dal leaders including Razia Begam, Syed Ghulam Nabi Shah among others also joined JKAP. Manjit Singh welcomed them into the party and assured them that the JKAP will work for the welfare of the OBC people in Jammu and Kashmir. “JKAP has given a hope to the people of J&K. The Party has come into being for the welfare of the people. We do politics of truthfulness without misleading the people with hollow slogans. We do not play with the emotions of the people,” said Dilawar Mir. Mir said “JKAP stands for the unity of two the regions and brotherhood among the people and we believe in equal developmental opportunity to all without discrimination.” Ex-MLC and JKAP General Secretary Vijay Bakaya expressed his hope that the party will be strengthened with the joining of OBC people and assured them that the Party will fight for their rights. The JKAP General Secretary, Vikram Malhotra said that the party will work all the sections of the society to uplift them socially, politically and economically by giving them equal opportunities. “The neglected section of society needs to be provided facilities by the Government for the empowerment,” he said and demanded that the Mandal Commission recommendations should be implemented in J&K.
