The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday said that around 83,742 domicile certificates have been granted to non-locals in the Union Territory over the past two years, triggering fresh allegations that the Centre wants to change the Muslim-majority character of the UT.

The government, in a written response to PDP MLA Waheed-Ur-Rehman Para’s question, said around 35,12,184 domicile certificates had been issued in two years across Jammu and Kashmir. The government said that of these, 83,742 — or 2.58 per cent of all certificates — had been granted to individuals from outside Jammuand Kashmir.

The religious identities of the beneficiaries are not clear, nor is a break-up of their numbers in Jammu and in Kashmir available. There were also no details on how many non-locals got these certificates in the three years after the abrogation ofArticle 370.

Issuing domicile certificates to outsiders is an emotive issue in Jammu and Kashmir.

Article 370 and Article 35A gave exclusive rights to locals over land and most government jobs. The two articles were abrogated on August 5, 2019, amid outrage across the erstwhile state. Many people here believe it was done to change the Muslim-majority character of Jammuand Kashmir.

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said Delhi was working on an agenda, accusing the Omar Abdullah government of implementing it. “As many as 83,000 non-locals have got these certificates. You will not find so many non-locals getting such certificates in any other state in such a short time,”she said.