In a significant announcement today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared in the Lok Sabha that 24 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly have been reserved for Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) as they rightfully belong to India.
While presenting the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2023 in the House, Shah highlighted the changes in seat allocations, stating that Jammu, previously with 37 seats, now has 43, and Kashmir, which had 46 seats, now has 47. Notably, he emphasized the reservation of 24 seats for Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
The bills tabled by Shah, including the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, aim to provide justice and representation to the people, particularly addressing the rights of Kashmiri Pandits who were displaced. Shah stated, “This Bill is to get them rights, this Bill is to give them representation.”
Amit Shah took a dig at the Congress, recalling the era of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir after the 1980s, stating that those responsible for stopping it were enjoying vacations in England. He emphasized the bills’ intent to rectify the injustices endured over the past 70 years.