WEB DESK (MNN) : A committee at the University of Jammu has suggested dropping topics related to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, and Syed Ahmad Khan from its MA Political Science curriculum, according to reports by Indian media outlets.
The recommendation came after demonstrations on campus led by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, which opposed the inclusion of a section discussing Jinnah’s political ideas.
The ABVP, affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party objected to a chapter titled “Minorities and the Nations,” arguing that it portrayed Jinnah as a representative of minorities in India.
The panel, chaired by Professor Naresh Padha, has submitted its proposal to the university’s Board of Studies, which is expected to review the matter.
Sannak Shrivats, the ABVP’s state secretary in Jammu and Kashmir who led the protests, told media that Jinnah was presented as a minority leader in the course material.
Meanwhile, Baljit Singh Mann, head of the university’s political science department, defended the syllabus. He stated that including Jinnah and other thinkers aligns with curricula across Indian universities and follows guidelines set by the University Grants Commission.
“He added that an unnecessary controversy was being created and that the university does not promote any ideology, but presents diverse viewpoints to enable critical evaluation,” it was quoted as saying.
