In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for “a calculated campaign to inflame communal tensions and discriminate against Muslim students”.  According to Kashmir Media Service, in a statement issued in Srinagar, PDP additional spokesperson Zuhaib Yousuf Mir condemned the recent remarks and actions by BJP leaders, accusing them of advancing a “xenophobic narrative” aimed at deepening communal divisions in the territory. 

Mir referred to a delegation led by BJP’s Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, which recently met the Lieutenant Governor and demanded the cancellation of student admissions and reservation of seats exclusively for Hindu devotees of a particular deity. He said such proposals were a “direct and deliberate attempt” to sideline and marginalise the Muslim community.Mir urged authorities to ensure equal opportunities for all citizens irrespective of faith.

He warned that failure to collectively resist such divisive actions would “seriously endanger the social fabric and threaten the aspirations of the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.”  The PDP leader said these alarming developments were part of the BJP’s wider agenda to reshape institutions along communal lines, undermining the inclusive ethos of the region and further eroding the rights of the people of IIOJK. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)