Domicile law: Bukhari in Delhi, will try meeting PM Modi

Srinagar, Apr 3: Former Minister and president J&K Apni Party Altaf Bukhari is planning to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his ‘unhappiness’ over new J&K domicile law.

Sources in the party said that Bukhari will attempt to meet PM Modi and, if possible, Home Minister Amit Shah too in the national capital.

Bukhari, they said, is expected to inform the Centre “how the new unsatisfactory domicile law is not in sync with the aspiration of the people of J&K.”

“Luckily I’m in Delhi because my father is unwell. However, I cannot say anything right now, I will come up with a statement this afternoon,” Bukhari told The Kashmir Monitor over the phone.

Last month, Bukhari and 23 of his party members, called on the Prime Minister to press for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and domicile rights. 

After the meeting, a spirited Bukhari had said that the PM assured the delegation that no demographic change will be made in J&K.

“He’s a man of commitment. His heart beats for the people of J&K. He understands what the people of J&K want. He appreciated when we said that we want the same laws as the rest of the country,” he had said.

Two weeks later, however, the centre introduced the Domicile Law allowing anyone with 15 years of stay in Kashmir become its domicile.

In law, domicile is the status or attribution of being a lawful permanent resident in a particular jurisdiction.

Also, the law now formally allows people from outside J&K to apply for jobs in the UT. While Level IV jobs have been reserved for people with domicile status – as per their definition in the order – other non-gazetted and gazetted jobs have been opened for people from across the country, including people domiciled in J&K.

Level IV jobs include posts like junior assistant and constable, which are the lowest category of non-gazetted posts. Only such jobs have been exclusively reserved for people with J&K domicile status.

The law was severely criticised across political and social platforms in J&K.