SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday denied issuing any order to remove Urdu from certain revenue department jobs, while defending a move to seek public feedback on a proposal to that effect.
Background of the Controversy
The controversy erupted after the revenue department issued draft recruitment rules for non-gazetted posts on April 10, inviting objections within 15 days. The draft rules set the minimum qualification as graduation from any university, whereas existing norms require graduation along with knowledge of Urdu. People's Democratic Party (PDP) functionary and party chief Mehbooba Mufti's daughter, Iltija Mufti, accused the Omar-led National Conference government of planning to drop Urdu as a mandatory requirement for such jobs.
CM's Response
Addressing the allegations, Omar said, 'There is no dropping Urdu. God save us from those who cannot see the difference between truth and lies. Unfortunately, this group (PDP) and its leadership see nothing except lies.' The chief minister, who also holds the revenue portfolio, challenged the PDP to provide evidence of the alleged order. 'What they showed was only an order seeking public comments. They fail to see the difference between seeking public comments and removing a language,' he added.
Omar acknowledged that a proposal for Urdu's removal had been placed before him but clarified he had not approved it. 'I do not deny that the proposal came from the department, but I have not cleared it. There is no intention of giving a nod to it,' he said.
Iltija Mufti's Counter
Iltija contested the chief minister's assertions, questioning how he could be comfortable seeking feedback despite knowing the overwhelming public sentiment was in favor of Urdu. She alleged that the very act of seeking opinion betrayed an intention to initiate the process of removing Urdu. 'We won't let you erase our history. I don't need tuition. I'd much rather you use the same energy on cancelling these shambolic 'opinion poll' orders to annihilate Urdu,' she said.
Earlier this week, Iltija took to the streets, calling the proposed rules an attack on Jammu and Kashmir's linguistic heritage. She later posted a video of late separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani emphasizing the importance of Urdu. In the video, Geelani is heard saying that youths are being deprived of Urdu, a language in which religious literature across India, Pakistan, and J&K has been preserved. Iltija wrote that she may not concur with Geelani's ideology but endorsed his arguments about the importance of the language, calling the clip 'worth a watch.'
Police Action
Jammu and Kashmir Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) over the circulation of the video, alleging it promotes separatist ideology. Geelani, who died in 2021, was a prominent separatist figure in the region.
The row continues to intensify, with both sides accusing each other of misrepresentation and political opportunism. Meanwhile, the public feedback process on the draft recruitment rules remains open.
