Srinagar: Political parties have criticised the alleged biased approach towards aspirants of the Judicial Services after the list of shortlisted candidates for the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination surfaced in the public domain.
The parties accused the recruitment agency of adopting a biased approach against aspirants from Kashmir and demanded an investigation into the matter.
Chief of the Apni Party, Altaf Bukhari, said, “It is a matter of serious concern that only 13 out of 124 candidates from the Kashmir Valley have been shortlisted for the viva voce stage of the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination, while the remaining 111 candidates belong to the Jammu division.”
Bukhari stated that the candidates from the Valley who were dropped have rightly alleged serious irregularities and a lack of transparency in the examination results.
“Given the stark regional imbalance reflected in the results, these concerns cannot be dismissed and deserve a fair and impartial investigation,” he said.
Expressing dismay, Bukhari added that, “Unfortunately, during the 2024 Assembly elections, two political parties played an active role in polarising the two divisions—Jammu and the Valley—along religious lines.”
He said that the BJP communalised the political discourse in Jammu, while the National Conference responded in a similar manner in the Valley. Both parties reaped electoral benefits from this polarisation; however, the ultimate cost was borne by the secular fabric and social harmony of Jammu and Kashmir as a whole.
Referring to what he described as a worsening situation, Bukhari cited a recent example where the merit-based selection of MBBS students at Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), Katra, was allegedly communalised on religious lines.
He alleged that the BJP used its power and influence to revoke permission for the MBBS course at the institution, thereby ensuring that Muslim students do not study there, an action he said damaged the larger public interest of Jammu and Kashmir.
Bukhari further said, “It now appears that the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination is also being subjected to communal considerations, as the disproportionate ratio of shortlisted candidates raises serious doubts.”
“At a time when mistrust prevails in both regions, the only responsible course is to keep the results in abeyance and initiate a transparent and independent inquiry,” he added.
He urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to ensure that the results of the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination remain on hold until a fair and thorough inquiry is conducted.
The same concern was raised by the other Kashmir-based political parties.DD
Special Correspondent, Kashmir.
