Jammu, Aug 11: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Sunil Sharma on Tuesday expressed solidarity with students protesting in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities, corruption and paper leaks in recruitment examinations, and accused opposition parties of maintaining double standards on student issues.
Addressing a press conference here, Sharma said the ongoing student agitation was a struggle for justice, transparency and accountability, and reiterated his demand for an impartial probe, including by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), into the alleged irregularities.
BJP National Secretary and Jammu South MLA Narinder Singh and party spokespersons Vikram Malhotra and Zorawar Jamwal were also present.
Sharma noted that students had been raising their demands peacefully, within the ambit of law and the Constitution, and questioned the alleged use of force against them.
“If students are raising their demands peacefully and within the ambit of law and the Constitution, why should they face lathicharge or harassment? Why is there silence on this issue today?” he asked.
He alleged that opposition parties, which recently raised their voice over student-related issues, were now silent on the Jharkhand agitation.
Sharma questioned whether recent protests by opposition leaders purportedly in support of students reflected genuine concern or were motivated by political interests.
“Today, we want to ask all those parties where their morality is and where their voice has gone. A few days ago, you were raising slogans, protesting and making every effort to create instability in the country. Where has that voice gone today?” he said.
Targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Sharma accused the Congress and its allies of adopting a double standard on issues concerning students.
He also referred to the Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party and other opposition parties, urging the youth to expose what he described as their “double standards, double politics and double character”.
“The youth are the foundation of the country’s future. They should not become a tool in the hands of political parties seeking to create instability or disorder,” Sharma said.
He appealed to the younger generation not to fall prey to attempts to politicise genuine grievances and urged students to continue raising their concerns through peaceful and constitutional means.
Sharma said the BJP stood in solidarity with the Jharkhand students “fighting for justice” and reiterated that allegations of recruitment examination irregularities should be investigated through a credible, impartial and time-bound mechanism.
He also criticised the Congress leadership in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that the party had earlier been vocal on student protests and alleged harassment but was now silent on the Jharkhand issue.
“From Jammu and Kashmir, I want to ask the Congress party here why its voice has gone silent today. Until recently, its leaders were coming out in support of protests and raising their voice over alleged harassment of students,” he said.
Sharma alleged that certain political forces were attempting to create an atmosphere of instability and disorder in the country and claimed that the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir had often remained at the forefront of such political campaigns.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir were entitled to question the local Congress leadership over its stand on the Jharkhand students’ agitation.
Sharma reiterated that recruitment examinations must be conducted fairly and transparently and that students’ legitimate grievances should be addressed through dialogue and due process rather than coercive measures.
