Religious, regional bias in Santosh Trophy football team selection? J&K orders probe
The probe was ordered after the BJP alleged discrimination against the Jammu region, as only one player from the region made the cut in the final selection list.
Srinagar | Updated: December 19, 2025 08:25 AM IST
3 min read
Whatsapp
twitter
Facebook
Reddit
The probe committee has been asked to take inputs from the "general public", enquire into the selection process followed by the selectors, and submit its recommendations.
The J&K government has set up an enquiry commission to examine the selection of players for the Santosh Trophy football tournament following allegations of regional and religious bias.
The probe was ordered after the BJP alleged discrimination against the Jammu region, as only one player from the region made the cut in the final selection list.
The nine-member committee has been asked to enquire in detail into the process followed to select players for the football tournament. The probe committee has been given seven days to submit its report.
“Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of Enquiry Committee comprising of the following officers to enquire into the process of selection of the team for participation in the 79th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, 2025 so as to ascertain the factual position, in a time-bound manner,” reads the government order.
The probe committee has been asked to take inputs from the “general public”, enquire into the selection process followed by the selectors, and submit its recommendations.
The nine members of the committee include two football players — one each from the Kashmir and Jammu regions — to be nominated by the Director General, Youth Services and Sports (YS&S), Anuradha Gupta, who is also a member of the committee. The other members include Manoj Prabhakar (Joint Controller, Legal Metrology Department), Megha Bougia (Deputy Director, Planning, YS&S), Satpaul Singh (former coach and former Divisional Sports Officer), Mansoor Aslam Chowdhary (Special Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies), and Bilal Rasool Parray (PET, Budgam).
The BJP has alleged regional and religious discrimination in the selection process, as only one of the 20 players in the final list is from Jammu. The party has demanded the resignation of Youth Services and Sports Minister Satish Sharma, who also hails from Jammu. The National Conference’s ally, Congress, has also questioned the fairness of the selection process.
Story continues below this ad
Speaking to The Indian Express during Express Adda on Wednesday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said if the majority of the team players were non-Muslims, none of this (allegations and protests) would have happened.
“I mean, look at the storm yesterday or the day before yesterday on the composition of the football team for the Santosh Trophy because the majority of the players selected happen to be Kashmiri Muslims,” Omar said at Express Adda on Wednesday. “Now an enquiry has been ordered to determine whether the team was selected on the correct basis. I can assure you if the majority of the team players had been non-Muslims, none of this would have happened.”
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
3 min read
