Jammu, July 14 (KINS): BJP senior leader and MLA R.S. Pathania on Monday welcomed the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) decision to ‘stay the mandatory Urdu qualification for Naib Tehsildar recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir, calling it a victory for justice and constitutional values’.
Talking to news agency KINS following a protest led by BJP outside the Civil Secretariat in Jammu, BJP senior leader and MLA R S Pathania said, “Urdu is no longer a compulsory subject in J&K. The Official Languages Act clearly recognizes five official languages for the Union Territory. Yet, the National Conference continues to cling to an outdated rule that mandates knowledge of Urdu for Naib Tehsildar applicants.”
He termed the provision discriminatory and “out of place and out of vogue”, alleging it violated constitutional guarantees by discriminating on the basis of language and religion. “Such regressive practices have no place in modern governance,” he said.
Pathania praised the CAT verdict, stating, “This is a landmark judgment. It restores the rights of thousands of deserving candidates who were unfairly barred due to language barriers. The Bharatiya Janata Party stood firmly against this injustice, and justice has now prevailed.”
The BJP had organized a strong protest earlier in the day, asserting that merit — not language — should determine eligibility for government posts.(KINS)
