Facing backlash from political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army on Saturday cancelled a seminar scheduled for March 26 aimed at raising awareness about the Uniform Civil Code and other topics. The Army, however, said it had nothing to do with the topic of the seminar and was only providing administrative help to its organisers.
Late Friday, the Army sent out invitations to media houses for the seminar on the subject "Navigating legal frontiers: Understanding Indian Penal Code 2023 and the quest for Uniform Civil Code". It was supposed to be held at the Kashmir University Auditorium.
However, there was backlash from regional political parties with former chief minister and National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah questioning the Army's involvement in a "divisive" issue like the Uniform Civil Code in a sensitive place like Kashmir.
"Is it appropriate for the Indian Army to get involved in the divisive issue of the uniform civil code & that too in a sensitive area like Kashmir? There is a reason the Indian Army has remained apolitical & religious. This ill-advised UCC seminar is a threat to both these basic tenets," Abdullah said in a post on 'X'.
Going ahead with the seminar risks opening up the Army to charges of getting involved in the "murky world" of politics coupled with "interfering" in religious matters, he added.
His party colleague and NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq asked the Election Commission (EC) to "assess the appropriateness" of the Army discussing an issue that figures prominently in the BJP's manifesto while the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in effect. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also criticised the Army for the seminar.
"What we are seeing is the continuation of the trend of 'Naya Kashmir' and 'Akhir Kab Tak' campaigns in which the Army as an institution was seen as playing a partisan role and directly interfering in the political affairs of J-K," PDP spokesperson Najmus Saqib said.
"Post-backlash, we had seen some systemic changes, but unfortunately the seminar by the India Army as an institution depicts how far the lines between politics and security apparatus have blurred in J-K," he added. The Army said it cancelled the event "due to implementation of the Model Code of Conduct".
"The Legal Awareness Seminar on March 26 by Kashmir Jurist in Kashmir University has been cancelled due to implementation of the Model Code of Conduct," Srinagar-based Defence Spokesman Lt Col Manoj Sahu said in a statement.
Later, the defence spokesman told PTI that the Army has nothing to do with the topic of the seminar. "We are only providing administrative help to Kashmir Jurists, who were organisers of this event," Lt Col Sahu said.
He said the invitations were sent out by the Army in "good faith" to facilitate an academic discussion. The invite for the seminar to the media persons was sent by Srinagar-based PRO Defence on behalf of the General Officer Commanding, HQ 31 Sub Area, Major General PBS Lamba.
(With inputs from PTI)
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