NLU Row Ignites Protests In Jammu, CM Omar Abdullah Pushes Back On Parity Claims

Jammu erupts over plans for a National Law University in Kashmir, with Omar Abdullah and the BJP trading barbs amid growing regional tensions.

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah

Source : PTI

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 A proposal to set up a National Law University (NLU) in Kashmir has stirred protests in Jammu’s Dogra heartland.

The flashpoint has stirred old regional anxieties and had chief minister Omar Abdullah questioning why similar demands for parity were not raised a decade ago, when Jammu received both an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in 2016.

Demonstrations have taken place at several locations, including Jammu University, where law students have publicly described the plan as a betrayal of Jammu’s interests.

Medical college decision fuels wider anger

The law university controversy has been amplified by another decision that has angered many in Jammu.

The National Medical Commission recently withdrew permission from the newly established Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Excellence Medical College to run its MBBS programme, citing alleged deficiencies. This effectively halted the education of its inaugural batch of 50 students.

There are allegations that it could driven by pressure from the BJP and its Rightwing ecosystem after it emerged that 42 of the 50 students who qualified through the national-level NEET examination were Muslims. However, no formal proof has been presented to support this claim.

BJP leaders insist Jammu should host the NLU

The issue of where the NLU should be located has been unresolved since October last year, when the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution calling for the university to be set up in Kashmir. The BJP opposed that resolution from the outset.

On Friday, BJP legislator R.S. Pathania went a step further, vowing that the NLU would be established in Jammu. He argued that Jammu was better suited to host such an institution because of its law and order situation, connectivity and climate.

"This university should come to Jammu. It is our forceful demand. His (Omar’s) announcement will remain an announcement,"

Omar Abdullah, however, said on Monday that no final decision had yet been taken on the university’s location, expressing surprise at the intensity of the demands.

"When Jammu got IIM and IIT, what did Kashmir get at that time? Why didn’t you talk of parity then? Why was there no demand that if one was set up in Jammu, let the other be in Kashmir?"

His remarks were quickly countered by BJP legislator Sham Lal Sharma, who said his party was simply reflecting the sentiments of the people (of Jammu).

"We got everything through agitations; we got the IIT the same way. The IIM was given by the government of India. We got an AIIMS because of that. If you want us together, you should make judicious decisions."

As the political sparring continues, the NLU proposal has become a symbol of deeper regional and communal fault lines, raising questions about equity, representation and trust in Jammu and Kashmir’s evolving political landscape.