CM Omar rejects claims of discrimination with Jammu, questions selective outrage over institutions' allocation

Jammu, Jan 12: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday firmly rejected allegations of discrimination with Jammu, questioning what he described as selective outrage over the location of national institutions in Jammu and Kashmir.

Talking to reporters after chairing a review meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Jammu, the Chief Minister said the financial position of Jammu and Kashmir is not good and decisions have to be taken keeping overall feasibility in mind.

Omar said when premier institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Management were allotted to Jammu, no one raised the issue of regional balance or equality. He asked what Kashmir received in comparison at that time and why there was no demand that one institution be given to Jammu and another to Kashmir.

Referring to the proposed National Law University, the Chief Minister said even its location has not been finalized yet, but the debate on discrimination has already started. He said it is unfair to repeatedly raise the issue only when proposals are discussed, while remaining silent when major institutions come up in one region.

The Chief Minister said such selective arguments weaken the broader discourse on equitable development and ignore the financial and administrative constraints faced by the Union Territory. He stressed that decisions should be viewed in a balanced manner rather than through the lens of regional politics.

Omar said the government remains committed to development across all regions and urged political voices to avoid creating unnecessary divisions by selectively invoking discrimination narratives. [KNT]