SRINAGAR: A major political storm has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir, exposing deep regional fault lines between the two divisions. Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone has triggered intense debate by suggesting an “amicable divorce” between Jammu and Kashmir, accusing sections in Jammu of an “obsession” with opposing developmental projects in the Valley.
The immediate flashpoint is the proposed Jammu & Kashmir National Law University (NLU). The UT government has announced that the NLU will begin functioning from April 2026 at a temporary campus in Ompora, Budgam (Central Kashmir). At the same time, groups in Jammu — including the J&K High Court Bar Association (Jammu) and BJP leaders — are demanding that the main campus and headquarters be located in the winter capital instead.
With the row escalating through the week, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stepped in to defend the move to start the NLU from Budgam and to counter Jammu-based critics now invoking “regional balance”.
The “Divorce” Comment: What Sajad Lone Said
In a sharply worded statement, Sajad Lone, MLA from Handwara and president of the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Conference, hit out at demands from Jammu to shift the law university out of the Valley.
“Maybe the time has come for an amicable divorce. It is not only about developmental matters. Jammu has become the proverbial stick to beat the Kashmiri with,” Lone said, alleging that projects sanctioned for Kashmir repeatedly face resistance from Jammu-based groups.
Lone argued that Jammu already hosts premier institutions such as the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, and that objecting to a law university starting from Budgam amounts to discrimination against Kashmir.
He also urged Omar Abdullah to “honour his commitment” to establish the NLU in Budgam, referring to the Chief Minister’s earlier announcement in the Assembly and during the Budgam bypoll campaign.
The Dispute: Budgam vs Jammu
The controversy intensified after the J&K High Court Bar Association (Jammu) sent a detailed representation to the Chief Minister, urging that the main NLU campus be located in Jammu province rather than in the Kashmir Valley.
Jammu’s Argument
- The Bar Association and allied groups say placing the NLU primarily in Kashmir would “perpetuate regional imbalance”.
- They contend that Jammu — with the University of Jammu, IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu and stronger all-weather connectivity — is better suited as the main hub for a premier law institution.
- According to them, if the NLU is placed exclusively or predominantly in the Valley, students from Jammu and other parts of the country may face “logistical, climatic and accessibility challenges”.
- They therefore want the permanent headquarters and principal campus in Jammu, with the Budgam facility functioning only as a temporary or satellite campus, not as the main seat of the university.
Kashmir’s Stance
- Leaders in the Valley counter that major technical institutes — IIT and IIM — have already gone to Jammu, and that allowing the NLU to start from Budgam is essential for regional balance in higher education.
- They accuse some Jammu-based groups of portraying every Kashmir-based project as “discrimination”, even though similar arguments were not raised when multiple top-tier institutes were allotted to Jammu.
CM Omar Abdullah’s Response
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has firmly pushed back against demands to shift the NLU project wholesale to Jammu. Speaking to reporters in Jammu, he reminded critics that Jammu has already received both an IIT and an IIM.
“When Jammu got IIT and IIM, what did Kashmir get at that time? Why did you not talk about equality then?” he asked, questioning why “discrimination” is being alleged only now that the law university is planned in Kashmir.
Omar clarified that he has announced J&K’s first NLU will commence operations from April 2026 through a temporary campus at Ompora in Budgam, with an initial allocation of about ₹50 crore. However, he stressed that the final decision on the permanent location of the main campus has not yet been taken and will be decided by the government in due course.
He appealed to political and civil society leaders in Jammu not to politicise new educational institutions and to look at the NLU as an asset for the entire Union Territory, not just one region.
Key Highlights
- The Spark: Proposal to establish Jammu & Kashmir National Law University, starting from a temporary campus at Ompora, Budgam, from April 2026.
- The Quote: Sajad Lone suggests an “amicable divorce” between Jammu and Kashmir if Jammu continues to oppose projects meant for the Valley.
- Jammu’s Demand: J&K High Court Bar Association (Jammu) and others seek the permanent NLU headquarters and main campus in Jammu, with Budgam as an interim/satellite site, citing regional balance, accessibility and climate concerns.
- The Defence: Omar Abdullah argues that Jammu already has IIT and IIM, and says no final decision has yet been taken on the NLU’s permanent headquarters.
FAQ Section
A1: The government has announced that the Jammu & Kashmir National Law University will start functioning from a temporary campus at Ompora in Budgam district (Central Kashmir) from April 2026, with an initial allocation of around ₹50 crore. Omar Abdullah has also said that the final decision on the permanent main campus location is still under consideration.
A2: The J&K High Court Bar Association (Jammu) and other Jammu-based groups believe that placing the NLU primarily in Kashmir would exacerbate regional imbalance. They argue that Jammu is better suited as the permanent headquarters due to its existing educational ecosystem (University of Jammu, IIT Jammu, IIM Jammu), better connectivity and relatively milder winter climate. They are therefore demanding that the principal campus and HQ be in Jammu, with Budgam limited to a temporary or satellite role rather than being the main base.
A3: Jammu is home to both an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Jammu) and an Indian Institute of Management (IIM Jammu), sanctioned under earlier central packages. Kashmir-based leaders, including Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone, note that no comparable “regional balance” debate arose when these premier institutes were allotted to Jammu and cite this to justify allowing the NLU to take off from Budgam in the Kashmir Valley.
