PDP slams J&K govt for ‘forcing’ students to attend Tiranga rally

Srinagar, Jan 24 (PTI) The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday alleged that the Jammu and Kashmir government was using education as a “propaganda tool” by “forcing” students to attend a Tiranga rally organised by the RSS-affiliated ABVP, calling it unacceptable.

“The J&K Education Department, under the NC government, has made it mandatory for both private and public school children across Poonch to attend a rally organized by the ABVP, the RSS-affiliated student wing that normalises anti-Muslim bigotry. Using education as a propaganda tool by forcing students to attend ideological events is unacceptable,” PDP leader Iltija Mufti said in a post on X.

Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP president and former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J-K, was referring to a purported order by the chief education officer of Poonch, directing the heads of various schools to send 40-50 students and two teachers to the rally, which took place on Thursday.

Another PDP leader and MLA from Pulwama, Waheed Para, said J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah used to condemn such orders before the elections, but “this blatant transformation” under the current government stands as its only “so-called achievement” in the last 100 days.

“The J&K government’s order, with the education department’s endorsement of an ABVP rally, forcing students to participate, was condemned by Omar Abdullah before the elections. Yet now, this blatant transformation under the government stands as its only so-called ‘achievement’ in the last 100 days,” Para said on X.

He alleged that the Abdullah-led National Conference government had “abandoned every promise it made during the elections,” including the restoration of Article 370, the release of political prisoners, rationalisation of reservations, free electricity, free rations, the Youth Employment Act and the revocation of PSA and AFSPA.

“U-turns and betrayal continue,” the MLA from Pulwama added.