Political parties in Kashmir have slammed the government’s decision to take over the management of 215 Jamaat-linked schools on Saturday.
Sajad Gani Lone, MLA from Handwara and chief of JKPC, said, “Shame and shamelessness have assumed new meanings in this government.”
In his post on X, Sajad Lone wrote, “They are setting new standards in servility. And just to recall the sermons and the edicts that this party passed against their opponents.”
Omar’s government was equally responsible for the decision, he further alleged. “The LG government made the decision, and Omar signed the order” he said.
Lone said, “The same cases of collusion between the elected government and LG administration can be noted in several other matters, including the termination of the employees.”
He described both running and the ruling government as being part of the same team: “This is the A team. This was always the A team.”
Similar allegations were made by PDP leader Iltija Mufti, who said Jamaat has always been the first target of the NC government whenever in power.
In a post on X, she wrote, “Throughout Kashmir’s history, every time the National Conference got a brute majority, their first target has always been the Jamaat. Be it 1977 or even today, where they have taken it too far by jeopardising the future of thousands of students, leaving them in distress.”
She also accused Education Minister Sakina Itoo of a U-turn, saying her previous order did only mention the takeover of schools by the deputy commissioner, and said the principals of nearby higher secondary schools would oversee operations.
“This is a brazen U-turn from the minister and one that only exacerbates the crisis,” she said.
Mufti asked, “Why not admit what has been their official policy of punishing and outlawing the Jamaat for decades?”
Meanwhile, PDP youth leader and Pulwama MLA said one of the major successes of the Centre after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 was integrating JeI into the electoral process.
In a post on X, he said, “This milestone, which could not be achieved through arrests or encounters, was realised during the 2024 elections when the Ameer of Jamaat and JeI members actively fielded candidates. This marked a significant step toward transforming and reintegrating a segment of the population that had been exploited by anti-India groups due to decades-long hostility stemming from 1987 onwards.”
However, he firmly criticised the takeover of Jamaat-linked schools and the banning of books in Kashmir, calling them “knee-jerk reactions” rather than well-thought-out moves.
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