The Omar Abdullah government is under fire over a directive from the state education department asking schoolchildren in Jammu’s Poonch district to participate in a “Tiranga rally” organised by RSS student arm ABVP on Thursday.

Many pupils and teachers participated in the rally, held in the run-up to Republic Day, following the directive from the chief education officer (CEO), Poonch.

Students’ bodies and the Opposition targeted the National Conference-led government, alleging the “use of education as a propaganda tool”, after the CEO’s letter went viral.

On January 20, the ABVP had written to the Poonch administration to allow it to organise the Tiranga rally. Additional district magistrate Tahir Mustafa Malik granted permission with a directive to ensure that community, caste or religious feelings were not hurt.

The CEO Poonch forwarded the order to multiple government and private schools with a further directive to send 40 to 50 students and two teachers each to the rally.

Malik told The Telegraph that he had only granted permission for the rally and that the directive to the schools was not his.

Education minister Sakina Itoo did not respond to calls from this newspaper.

The Opposition People’s Democratic Party tore into the state government.

“J&Ks Education Department under the NC government has made it mandatory for both private & public school children across Poonch to attend a rally organised by ABVP the RSS affiliated student wing that normalises anti-Muslim bigotry,” Iltija Mufti, media adviser to party president Mehbooba Mufti, wrote on X.

“Using education as a propaganda tool by forcing students to attend ideological events is unacceptable.”

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said: “The government has no right to dictate which political or ideological events students should participate in.”

It added: “Education must remain neutral, free from coercion or external influence, and allow students the freedom to decide their participation in any political activity. By imposing such mandates, the government is not only infringing upon the rights of students but also encouraging political polarisation within educational institutions.”

The students’ body said the move contradicted the essence of a democratic society and asserted that “it is essential that educational institutions are not used as tools for promoting any particular political agenda”.

A prominent association of tribal students in Poonch district has demanded an inquiry.

Officials said the rally started from the Poonch degree college and passed through Nakhawali Road, City Chowk and Qila Marketbefore returning to the college playground.