Protests in Jammu over 'discrimination' in Santosh Trophy football team selection; probe ordered

Jammu, Dec 15 (PTI) Protests were held on Monday by two organisations in Jammu city alleging discrimination against the region in the selection of the Santosh Trophy football squad by the Sports Council and demanding the scrapping of the list.

Jammu and Kashmir Sports Minister Satish Sharma assured a time-bound and impartial inquiry into the Santosh Trophy team selection, a day after the BJP alleged discrimination against the Jammu region and demanded his resignation.

Two organisations -- Shiv Sena and the Kalki Movement -- threatened to launch an agitation if the alleged discrimination was not addressed, also raising issues related to admissions in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College and the Santosh Trophy squad selection.

Led by Shiv Sena UBT president Manish Sahni, scores of activists marched in Jammu to protest the alleged discriminatory treatment of youth from the region in the selection of the squad for the Santosh Trophy football tournament.

The protesters raised slogans against the government, the Sports Council and the sports minister, demanding the scrapping of the list and a fair selection process.

"We demand justice for the youth of Jammu. How long will discrimination against Jammu continue? "The issue of admissions of Muslim students in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College is yet to be resolved, and now Jammu youth have again been discriminated against in the selection of the Santosh Trophy squad. Out of 24 players, 20 have been selected from Kashmir," Sahni told reporters.

He warned of agitation if the issue was not resolved immediately. "If such discriminatory practices continue, we will be forced to launch an agitation for a separate Jammu state. We urge the youth to come forward and seek justice," he said.

Similarly, the Kalki Movement also held protests against the alleged discriminatory step and demanded the scrapping of the list. The protesters raised anti-government slogans.

"Fed up with continued discrimination under the present regime, we demand a separate Jammu state. Only a separate Jammu can end this discrimination and the hegemony of Kashmir over Jammu," a leader of the movement told reporters.

He alleged that after "snatching the rights of Hindu children" in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College by granting a majority of MBBS seats to Muslim students, mostly from Kashmir, the Jammu region was now given just four out of 24 selections in the Santosh Trophy squad.

The leaders further alleged discrimination in the selection of fire service department employees, claiming that only five to six Hindus were among the 103 selected candidates whose terminations were ordered.

"Keeping in view the continued discrimination with a design, we demand a separate Jammu state," they said, warning that the agitation would continue if the government failed to take action.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma also expressed concern over the controversy surrounding the alleged bias in the selection of football players for the Santosh Trophy and questioned the reasons for the selection of only one player from the Jammu region despite a higher number of candidates.

Expressing surprise over the non-selection of several players from a large pool of participants from Jammu, Sharma said a clear response from the concerned authorities was expected to place the facts in the public domain. "The complete silence is not only unfortunate but dangerous in view of regional sensitivities and brewing resentment among people and youth," he said.

Questioning the silence of the government and administration, he said that a perception of injustice was turning into anguish and anger among the people.

The sports minister said he had taken cognisance of media reports regarding issues in the selection of the team for the Santosh Trophy football championship and assured that a detailed, impartial inquiry would be conducted in a time-bound manner.

"I assure all that any violation of the merit-based selection policy will result in severe consequences and appropriate punitive measures," the minister said in a social media post.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP on Sunday demanded the resignation of Sports Minister Satish Sharma, alleging discrimination against the Jammu region in the selection of the Santosh Trophy squad.

Calling the process "illegal and discriminatory", J&K BJP spokesperson Rajni Sethi said the National Conference government was repeatedly hurting the sentiments of Jammu youth through biased policies.

However, the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council rejected the allegations, terming them misleading, and defended the selection as merit-based and transparent.

A Sports Council official said, "The players for the Santosh Trophy were selected through a process lasting over one-and-a-half months. In the absence of the J&K Football Association due to non-conduct of elections, the Sports Council has been raising teams in coordination with the All India Football Federation for the past two years, ensuring a merit-based and transparent selection process." PTI AB KSS KSS