‘Insult is heaped on injury’: Omar

Srinagar: National Conference Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday slammed the Centre over new domicile rules for Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was an “insult to injury of the people” as the law offers none of the promised protections.
In a series of tweets, the former chief minister who was released from detention last week, said the new law was so hollow that even the “new party created with Delhi’s blessings have been forced” to criticise it. Omar was reportedly referring to the criticism by Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party founder Altaf Bukhari who was quoted as saying by PTI that the Centre’s order on domicile rules was a “casual” and “cosmetic” exercise to “hoodwink” the people of the erstwhile state.According to the new rule issued by the Centre released Tuesday, a person residing in Jammu and Kashmir for at least fifteen years will now be eligible to be a domicile of the union territory.In another tweet, the National Conference leader said, “If the government has the time to issue a domicile law in the midst of this covid crisis why can’t they find the time to release Mehbooba Mufti and other leaders unjustly detained?” Before August 5, Article 35 A of the Constitution of India (now abrogated) empowered J&K assembly to define a J&K resident, who alone were eligible to apply for jobs or own immovable property.