Purnima Sharma slams Lathicharge on NLU Protesters, demands accountability

• No compromise on Jammu’s rights’; Questions discrimination by Omar Govt 

JAMMU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu, has strongly condemned the reported lathicharge on students who were peacefully protesting over the National Law University (NLU) issue. J&K BJP Spokesperson and Former Deputy Mayor, Adv. Purnima Sharma, and Spokesperson Rajni Sethi, accompanied by Media Incharge Dr. Pardeep Mahotra were addressing press conference at party headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.

Adv. Purnima Sharma termed the incident “deeply unfortunate” and said that using force against students raising concerns about discrimination with Jammu is unacceptable in a democratic setup.

Adv. Purnima Sharma stated that students were protesting for their rights and expressing concerns that the Omar-led government is allegedly discriminating against the Jammu region. “If the youth are anxious about their future and raising genuine issues, it is the responsibility of the government to listen to them, not to silence them through lathis. This lathicharge is being seen as yet another act of injustice against Jammu,” she said.

She emphasized that students are the future of the nation and have every democratic right to peacefully present their demands. Suppressing dissent in a democracy cannot be justified under any circumstances.

Raising serious concerns, she questioned why adequate women police personnel were not deployed at the site despite the presence of a large number of female students. “When female students are part of a protest, ensuring the presence of women police officers is mandatory. Any force used in their absence reflects grave administrative negligence,” she added.

Adv. Sharma demanded that whosoever is found guilty of ordering or carrying out excessive force must be punished strictly as per law. She called for a fair, transparent, and time-bound inquiry into the incident and urged the government to initiate dialogue with student representatives to address their grievances.

Appealing for calm, she said that while peace must be maintained, there can be no compromise on the rights of Jammu and the future of its youth. “Justice must prevail, and the confidence of students must be restored immediately,” she asserted.

Meanwhile, BJP Spokesperson Rajni Sethi also slammed the National Conference (NC) government, stating that if there are three National Law Universities in Maharashtra, there is no reason why Jammu should be denied one. She demanded that the UT government formally announce the establishment of an NLU in Jammu as well, asserting that the people of Jammu deserve equal educational opportunities.