Demand rollback of Urdu as compulsory language for NT posts
Jammu: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on Monday staged a protest outside the Civil Secretariat and Assembly here, demanding the revocation of a government order mandating Urdu as a compulsory language for the Naib Tehsildar recruitment examination in Jammu and Kashmir.
Led by Leader of Opposition in J&K Assembly and J&K BJP General Secretary, Sunil Sharma, BJP MLAs arrived at the Civil Secretariat in the morning and staged a dharna, calling the order discriminatory and detrimental to the interests of Jammu’s youth.
Carrying placards highlighting injustice against Jammu’s youth, Dogras and other official languages of the union territory, the BJP leaders raised slogans against the government and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, accusing the part of trying to create unrest in the region.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the party has been opposing the move across Jammu for over three weeks, holding protests and rallies at the district level.
The BJP MLAs condemned the move as discriminatory and unjust, calling it a deliberate attempt by the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government to ignore the aspirations of the youth of Jammu and other non-Urdu-speaking regions.
Speaking to the media, Sharma said that this policy amounts to grave injustice against deserving candidates who are otherwise qualified but are being excluded based on language preference.
“This is not just about language. This is about rights, opportunities, and equal treatment. Urdu is one of the official languages of Jammu & Kashmir, but it is not the only one. Why should proficiency in Urdu be made mandatory when there are several other official languages recognized by the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir?” asked Sharma.
The BJP MLAs asserted that they had already exhausted all peaceful and democratic means to oppose the decision. “We submitted memorandums, led delegations, and even met with the Lieutenant Governor. Though the LG acknowledged our concern, he stated that the recruitment matter falls under the purview of the state government,” said BJP MLAs.
MLAs highlighted that the Chief Minister had previously assured BJP representatives that the issue would be looked into, but no action followed. “This betrayal of public trust has left us with no option but to protest,” they said.
MLAs also criticized the Chief Minister for allegedly playing the victim card while failing to perform his basic duties.
“Instead of solving the problems of the people, he is more concerned about enjoying the privileges of office. The youth of Jammu and Kashmir deserve a fair and transparent recruitment process, not political manipulation,” they said.
The BJP MLAs warned that if the government continues to turn a deaf ear to the people’s demands, the protest will escalate.
“Today’s protest is a symbolic message. We are prepared to take the agitation to the next level if the NC government does not immediately revoke the Urdu language requirement in the Naib Tehsildar recruitment,” Sharma added—(KNO)
Comments are closed.