By the time Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling party began attacking Iltija Mufti over her protests on Urdu, the real issue had already started fading from public discussion. 

Questions about the removal of Urdu as a mandatory language for revenue officials slowly gave way to television debates, political accusations and carefully staged outrage.

That shift served a purpose.

The ruling Jammu & Kashmir National Conference understood that public anger over Urdu held emotional and political impact. Urdu remains tied to Kashmir’s administrative history, literary culture and everyday identity. Public protests around language draw attention quickly, especially when young Kashmiris already feel disconnected from institutions that claim to speak for them.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah entered the debate late, after days spent projecting himself through marathon events and public appearances that looked closer to image management than governance. Once criticism intensified, he returned with a familiar political argument. He accused the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party of helping the Bharatiya Janata Party secure a Rajya Sabha seat and claimed the Urdu controversy existed merely to distract the public.

That explanation collapses under basic scrutiny.

The accusation gained momentum after a journalist used a Right to Information request to determine how many extra votes the BJP candidate received during the Rajya Sabha election. 

The RTI reportedly showed that eight additional votes helped the BJP candidate win. Political messaging quickly filled the gaps left by the document itself. Public statements from........

© Kashmir Observer