A high-level delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), comprising 14 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), met with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at his office in Srinagar and raised their concern over some public issues, particularly imposition of Urdu for the post of Naib Tehsildar.
The delegation comprising BJP National Secretary Dr Narinder Singh, BJP Vice-Presidents Sham Lal Sharma, Yudhvir Sethi, and, Shakti Parihar, General Secretary Dr D K Manyal, and MLAs Chander Prakash Ganga, B S Mankotia, Pawan Gupta, Vikram Randhawa, Prof Gharu Ram, Baldev Sharma, Satish Sharma, Dr Sunil Bhardwaj, and Surinder Bhagat raised strong objections to some recent administrative decisions that have triggered widespread concern among the public.
At the forefront of the discussion was the controversial and `divisive’ advertisement marking Urdu a compulsory qualification for the post of Naib Tehsildar.
The BJP leaders condemned this move as regressive, exclusionary, and in direct contradiction to the spirit of linguistic diversity enshrined in the Constitution, especially after the recognition of five official languages in J&K i.e. Hindi, Dogri, English, Urdu, and Kashmiri under the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020.
The delegation categorically stated that imposing Urdu as a mandatory qualification amounts to systemic discrimination against a significant portion of the youth from the Jammu region and elsewhere, who have not studied the language. “This clause has the potential to deprive thousands of deserving and meritorious candidates of their rightful opportunity to serve in the administrative framework of the UT,” the leaders said.
The delegation unanimously demanded immediate withdrawal of the advertisement with the Urdu clause. They urged the Chief Minister to revise the decision on the pattern of 2011 during his previous tenure, and issue a fresh advertisement. The Chief Minister gave an affirmative and positive response.
BJP MLAs also raised the issue of displacement of shopkeepers from Nai Basti due to the ongoing highway/flyover expansion project. They highlighted the dire situation of affected families and called for urgent rehabilitation. The Chief Minister, acknowledging the gravity of the issue and directed the Principal Secretary to address the matter on priority.
The delegation also pushed for the expeditious release of the long-pending selection list under the ‘Sportsman quota’, emphasizing the need to recognize and reward the contributions of athletes from the UT who have brought laurels to the region and the nation. Daily Excelsior
