BJP MLAs on Monday held a protest outside the Civil Secretariat and Assembly in Jammu, demanding the withdrawal of a government order making Urdu compulsory for the Naib Tehsildar recruitment exam in Jammu and Kashmir.
The party has been opposing the decision for the past three weeks, holding protests and rallies across various districts in the Jammu region. BJP leaders have warned of a larger agitation if the order is not rolled back.
Gathering early in the morning, the MLAs along with senior party leaders staged a two-hour sit-in, calling the decision unfair and biased. They said the move would hurt the chances of Jammu’s youth in government recruitment.
Holding placards, the BJP leaders shouted slogans against the government and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, accusing the NC of trying to create division and unrest in the region.
“We are completely against making Urdu compulsory in this exam. It’s not acceptable,” said BJP MLA and former minister Sham Lal Sharma.
He accused Kashmir-centric parties, especially the National Conference, of sidelining Jammu for years. “This is yet another example of how the youth of Jammu are being ignored,” he added.
Sharma said Urdu was never a mandatory requirement for the post earlier. “This decision seems aimed at denying job opportunities to Jammu’s youth and ignoring other official languages like Dogri, Hindi, and English,” he explained.
He said BJP leaders had already met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and submitted memorandums to Deputy Commissioners, but no action has been taken so far. “Even though the CM gave a positive response, the order still stands. And tomorrow is the last date to apply,” he said.
He warned that if the government fails to act, the BJP will intensify its protests. “All 28 BJP MLAs are united on this issue,” he added.
BJP MLA Yudhvir Sethi also slammed the order, calling it a direct attack on the future of Jammu’s youth. He said the decision ignores the region’s linguistic diversity, where languages like Dogri, Hindi, English, and Kashmiri are also officially recognized.
“This is a deliberate attempt to push Jammu’s youth aside and deny them equal opportunity,” Sethi said.
The BJP said it will soon decide on its next steps and vowed to continue the fight until the order is withdrawn.(KINS)
