BJP MLAs protest, demand roll back of decision on making Urdu mandatory

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 14: Issuing a stern warning to the Government on making Urdu mandatory for Naib Tehsildar examinations in J&K the BJP legislative party on Monday staged a protest outside the Civil Secretariat and Assembly here, demanding the immediate revocation of the Government order in this regard.

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The dharna was led by Opposition Leader in Assembly, Sunil Sharma who condemned the move as discriminatory and unjust, calling it a deliberate attempt by the Omar Abdullah led NC Government to ignore the aspirations of the youth of Jammu and other non Urdu speaking areas.
Sharma said this policy amounts to grave injustice against deserving candidates who are otherwise qualified but are being excluded based on language preference.
The BJP has been opposing the move across Jammu for over three weeks, holding protests and rallies across at the district level. The part has warned of launching a region-wide agitation if the order is not withdrawn.
The MLAs of the Saffron party 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 and banners 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 (NC) leader, Omar Abdullah, accusing the part of trying to create unrest in the region.
“We are staging a dharna against the decision to make Urdu mandatory for Naib Tehsildar examinations in Jammu and Kashmir, which is not acceptable to us,” BJP MLA and former Minister Sham Lal Sharma said.
He said, “Kashmir-centric parties, particularly the National Conference, have been discriminating against this region for decades. This is a fresh example of it.”
Taking a swipe at the National Conference Governments for decades-long discrimination against Jammu and its people, he said “we thought their discriminatory approach had changed after 2019, but it continues even today.”
Issuing such an order is a clear attempt to deny jobs to Jammu’s youth in the examination. It also discriminates against other official languages, he alleged.
“By making Urdu mandatory for such important posts in the Government, the NC rulers have overruled previous provisions where knowing the language Urdu was not compulsory,” Sharma further said.
“We are holding protests to get it revoked. Youth are already on the streets protesting. The matter has been brought to the notice of the Lieutenant Governor as well and memorandums have been submitted through Deputy Commissioners, but nothing has been done so far,” he said.
Sharma said that 14 BJP MLAs had even met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the issue. “His approach was positive. Still, no action has been taken, and tomorrow is the last day to apply for the posts.”
“They are trying to create unrest in Jammu and are forcing us to go on agitation. All 28 BJP MLAs have started it with today’s two-hour-long token dharna,” he added.
The former minister further said that the party will soon announce its next course of action.
“We are warning the Government not to play with the sentiments of the people of Jammu, who are fed up with the discriminatory attitude of Kashmir-centric rulers,” he said.
Other BJP MLAs also warned of an agitation if the Urdu language requirement is not withdrawn for the examination advertised by the Government.
The other BJP MLAs including former Ministers Sham Lal Sharma, Shakti Parihar and R S Pathania were also showed their ire against NC Government and warned that Kashmir centric leaders will not be allowed to impose their discriminative and anti Jammu policies.

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