JAMMU: BJP legislators on Monday staged a protest outside the civil secretariat in Jammu, demanding revocation of a government order mandating Urdu as a compulsory language for naib tehsildar recruitment examination in Jammu and Kashmir.The MLAs arrived at the secretariat in the morning and staged a dharna, terming 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, they raised slogans against the government and CM Omar Abdullah, accusing his party, National Conference, of trying to create unrest in the region.Speaking to the media, Sunil Sharma said this policy amounted to grave injustice against deserving candidates who are otherwise qualified but are being excluded based on language preference. “This is not just about language; it’s about rights, opportunities and equal treatment. Why should proficiency in Urdu be made mandatory when there are several other official languages in J&K?” he asked.Former minister Sham Lal Sharma said: “Kashmir-centric parties, particularly NC, have been discriminating against the Jammu region for decades. This is a fresh example of it.”Issuing such an order was a clear attempt to deny jobs to Jammu’s youth, he alleged. “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 14 BJP MLAs had even met CM Omar on the issue. “His approach was positive, but no action has been taken yet, 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,” he added.“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.
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