Jammu, 27-03-2026: Tensions flared in Jammu on Friday as members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, backed by several BJP legislators, staged a strong protest demanding the establishment of a National Law University in the region. The protest march, organized under the call of ‘Secretariat Chalo’, was stopped by police before it could reach the Civil Secretariat near the Assembly, leading to a charged political atmosphere in the city.
Raising slogans in support of their demand, BJYM activists and BJP leaders marched through Jammu asserting that the region should not be denied an institution of such academic significance. Protesters voiced concern over what they described as discriminatory decision-making, alleging that the ruling National Conference government was creating a sense of regional imbalance by moving ahead with plans for a National Law University in Kashmir while Jammu continued to wait for a similar institution.
The rally witnessed the participation of several BJP MLAs, including Sham Lal Sharma, Yudhvir Sethi, Arvind Gupta, Vikram Randhawa, Sunil Bhardwaj, Shagun Parihar and Divyani Rana. After being stopped by the police, the protesting leaders and workers sat on a dharna and intensified their demand for what they called equal educational opportunities for Jammu. The area remained under tight security, with heavy police deployment, barricades, barbed wire and security vehicles placed to prevent the march from proceeding toward the Secretariat.
BJYM Jammu and Kashmir president Arun Prabhat accused the police of using excessive force to block what he described as a peaceful demonstration. He said the youth wing had only sought to press for a legitimate public demand but was met with an overwhelming security response. He also warned that the agitation could grow into a larger movement if the demand for an NLU in Jammu continued to be ignored.
BJP leaders maintained that their opposition was not to the setting up of a National Law University in Kashmir, but to what they called the denial of equal treatment to Jammu. MLA Divyani Rana said the party supports educational development in every region but insisted that Jammu, too, deserves a National Law University. She underlined that the demand was rooted in fairness and regional balance, not rivalry.
MLA Ajay Gupta said Jammu has often had to struggle for institutions and projects that were its rightful due, recalling earlier public movements related to a central university and AIIMS. He asserted that the demand for an NLU has been longstanding and would continue to be raised until it is fulfilled. BJP MLA Yudhvir Sethi also accused the government of encouraging regional division and said the party would continue its campaign for equitable development in Jammu and Kashmir.