SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Wednesday accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of attempting to erase Urdu from Jammu and Kashmir’s administrative and cultural framework, alleging that his government is systematically removing the language from official systems.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mufti claimed that the Revenue Department, headed by the Chief Minister, initiated the process in July 2025 by directing that the digitisation of revenue records be carried out exclusively in English.
She said the move was concerning as centuries-old revenue documents in Jammu and Kashmir are primarily maintained in Urdu, which she described as a shared language across communities in the region.
Mufti also alleged that the government had removed the mandatory requirement of Urdu proficiency for recruitment into the Revenue Department, calling it an attack on the region’s linguistic identity, youth, and cultural heritage.
Questioning the rationale behind the decision, she said the government was undermining a language deeply embedded in Jammu and Kashmir’s collective history and administrative legacy.
The PDP leader further alleged that the changes were being imposed despite Urdu’s long-standing historical significance in the region and demanded accountability from the Chief Minister over the policy shift. -(KL)
