After Medical College Row in J&K, BJP Backs Demand to Shift National Law University from Kashmir to Jammu

The recent controversy surrounding the suspension of academic activities at a medical college in Jammu and Kashmir has reignited a politically charged debate over the location of the upcoming National Law University (NLU) in the Union Territory. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliates have intensified their demand to shift the NLU from the Kashmir Valley to Jammu, citing concerns over regional imbalance and accessibility.

The push gathered a lot of support after festivities were held in some parts of Jammu last week over the cancellation of the registration of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in Reasi district by the National Medical Commission (NMC). The move came after protests by Hindu right-wing groups, which BJP leaders have openly backed.

The NLU, which is to set up its first campus at a temporary location in Budgam district of central Kashmir from April this year, has now become a point of contention in the ongoing Jammu, Kashmir regional divide. Jammu, a Hindu, majority region and significantly a BJP stronghold, has frequently blamed successive governments for neglect, while opposition parties say the BJP is deliberately disempowering the Muslim, majority Kashmir Valley.

Before the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly session scheduled to start on February 2 in the winter capital, the Jammu faction of the J&K High Court Bar Association wrote to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah requesting him to shift the university to Jammu. In a formal representation, Bar President K. Nirmal Kishore Kotwal and Treasurer Rahul Aggarwal framed the demand as part of a “post-reorganisation vision of inclusive growth and regional justice.”

They stated that setting up the NLU in Kashmir would "perpetuate regional imbalance" and alleged that students from Jammu and other parts of the country could be confronted with "logistical, climatic, and accessibility challenges".

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on the other hand, dismissed the reason, saying that the two leading institutionsthe Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)were of recent origin in Jammu under the PDP, BJP alliance government between 2015 and 2018.

At the time, there was no discussion about regional balance Abdullah said, adding that the final decision on the NLUs permanent location is still awaited.

He further reiterated that any final decision will only be made after stakeholder discussions, a meeting with the Chief Justice of the J&K High Court, and the UTs Chief Secretary, among other things.

The J&K Assembly had gone ahead before passing a resolution that the main establishment of the NLU be in Srinagar, a move that was backed by both the sides. However, BJP leaders have nowadays cautioned of street demonstrations if the government continues with the Kashmir location.

“Jammu is the ideal place for the law university. We will ensure it opens here,” BJP MLA R.S. Pathania said.

The escalating rhetoric has also triggered anxiety in Kashmir, where student leaders accuse a section of Jammu-based groups of amplifying a victimhood narrative. “Jammu city is among the most developed urban centres in the UT,” said student activist Mir Mujeeb. “This discourse appears to be driven by a narrow fringe rather than a region-wide sentiment.”