BJP Applauds Takeover of JeI-Linked Schools in Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir BJP has hailed the government’s takeover of 215 schools linked to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its affiliate Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT) in the Kashmir Valley, calling it a decisive step to safeguard students from radicalization. BJP vice president and former education minister Priya Sethi praised the Lt Governor-led administration for securing the academic future of over 51,000 students enrolled in these schools.

Sethi, in a statement on Saturday, August 23, accused JeI and FAT of misusing education to spread separatist ideology, describing their schools as “hubs of indoctrination” rather than centers of learning. “These institutions were never about empowerment but about creating generations detached from progress,” she said, noting that the Ministry of Home Affairs had declared JeI an unlawful association in 2019, with the ban extended in 2024, due to its anti-national agenda.

The takeover, initiated on August 22, saw district administrations and police assume control of the schools across 10 Kashmir districts, following intelligence reports of their ties to JeI. Sethi emphasized that the move, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, ensures education remains free from radical influence, fostering “talent, unity, and nation-building.” She assured parents of enhanced transparency and quality under government supervision.

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The decision has drawn mixed reactions, with opposition parties like PDP and Peoples’ Conference criticizing it as “administrative overreach,” while social media posts reflect polarized sentiments, some praising the crackdown on extremism, others decrying impacts on students. The BJP remains steadfast, vowing to support initiatives for a peaceful, developed Jammu and Kashmir.

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