Akali Dal expresses anguish over non-inclusion of Punjabi in J-K languages bill

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal expressed anguish over the non-inclusion of Punjabi in the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill and expressed shock over the manner in which it was passed in the Parliament on Wednesday.

In a statement, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said it was a matter of deep concern that parliamentary procedures had "not been followed" while putting up the bill for approval before the Parliament.

The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha through voice vote on Wednesday.

The Lok Sabha had cleared the legislation on Tuesday.

Badal said the bill was neither put on the agenda of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, nor the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

"Even today, it was passed at the last minute in the absence of the Opposition," he said.

The SAD leader said the bill was taken up for approval without taking into consideration the objections of his party, as well as other regional parties of Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Badal had pointed out that Punjabi was not only the mother tongue of a large number of people of the Union territory, but was also a recognised language as per the constitution of the erstwhile state.

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah "supported me and said a sizable number of Kashmiris also speak Punjabi", Badal added.

"The Peoples Democratic Party has also supported the inclusion of Punjabi as an official language in the Union territory."

The SAD chief said Punjabi was being spoken in Jammu and Kashmir since the time of the Khalsa rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was widely used as a medium of instruction and also a compulsory language along with Urdu till 1981.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Partap Bajwa said he was extremely dejected by passage of the bill without the inclusion of Punjabi.

"I had spoken on this issue on 16th September, 2020, during the Zero Hour as well as had written a letter to the prime minister on this issue," he said in a statement.