Srinagar

Political parties in Kashmir on Saturday reacted sharply to the J&K government's takeover of the management of the 215 schools affiliated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).

Peoples' Conference chief and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone said, "Shame and shamelessness have assumed new meanings in this government."

"215 schools forcibly taken over by the J and K Government. And no prizes for guessing. The elected government has passed the order. Shame and shamelessness have assumed new meanings in this government.

"They are setting new standards in servility. And just to recall the sermons the edicts that this party passed against their opponents," Lone said in a post on X.

He asked the people to be "under no illusions" as the elected government "is a party to all acts undertaken".

"Be it mailings or termination of employees, they are equal partners. They have been equal partners in the past. And they will be equal partners in the future. This is the A team. This was always the A team," Lone said, referring to the name-calling of his party by the National Conference (NC) during the assembly elections.

Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti said JeI has always been the first target of the NC when in power.

"Throughout Kashmir's history every time the National Conference got a brute majority their first target has always been the Jamaat. Be it 1977 or even today where they have taken it too far by jeopardising the future of thousands of students leaving them in distress," Mufti said on X.

Referring to the clarification by Education Minister Sakina Itoo that the original order did not mention takeover by deputy commissioners but said that the principals of the nearest higher secondary schools would look after them, the PDP leader stated the "hazy illogical U-turn" from the minister "only exacerbates the crisis."

"Why not admit what has been their official policy of punishing & outlawing the Jamaat since decades?" she asked.

Another PDP leader, Waheed Para said one of the major successes of the Centre post-abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 was integrating JeI into the electoral process.

"This milestone, which could not be achieved through arrests or encounters, was realised during the 2024 elections when the Ameer of Jamaat and JeI members actively fielded candidates.

"This marked a significant step toward transforming and reintegrating a segment of the population that had been exploited by anti-India groups due to decades-long hostility stemming from 1987 onward," the Pulwama MLA said on X.

"What force could not accomplish, the democratic process and participation successfully achieved," he said.

However, he said the recent moves like book bans and school takeovers appear to be "knee-jerk reactions" rather than well-thought-out strategies.

READ MORE: C Shukkur and Sheena set off a quiet 'remarriage' tsunami among Muslims

"These actions suppress JeI-aligned individuals and close doors for those seeking to emerge from the turmoil of the past two decades. The GOI must provide space, uphold constitutional guarantees, and foster the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir — the only weapon yet to be fully tested in this region," Para added.