india

Updated: Apr 04, 2020 19:01 IST

National conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday denounced the Centre’s move to rework the domicile laws in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir at a time when the nation is pooling all resources to stave off the coronavirus pandemic.

The leader, who was until recently in detention, questioned the timing of the move as the entire nation is under lockdown to halt the spread of the Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. He called the law “hollow” and said it does not offer the protections that it had promised.

According to the change in laws, anyone who has resided for 15 years in Jammu and Kashmir or has studied for seven years and appeared in Class 10 and Class 12 examinations in an educational institution located in the union territory is a domicile. Also, those registered as a migrant by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) will also be deemed to be a domicile.

“Talk about suspect timing. At a time when all our efforts & attention should be focused on the #COVID outbreak the government slips in a new domicile law for J&K. Insult is heaped on injury when we see the law offers none of the protections that had been promised,” tweeted the former chief minister.

Talk about suspect timing. At a time when all our efforts & attention should be focused on the #COVID outbreak the government slips in a new domicile law for J&K. Insult is heaped on injury when we see the law offers none of the protections that had been promised. — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 1, 2020

Abdullah said that the recently formed ‘Apni Party’, which he alleged was formed with the blessings of the Delhi, was critical of the changes in the law.

“You can imagine how hollow the domicile law is from the fact that even the new party created with Delhi’s blessings, whose leaders were lobbying in Delhi for this law, have been forced to criticise the #JKdomicilelaw,” said the NC leader in another tweet.