SRINAGAR: Despite facing tremendous pressure from its ally BJP and Jammu-based parties, the Mehbooba Mufti government has decided against declaring September 23, the birth anniversary of the last Hindu ruler of state Maharaja Hari Singh, as a public holiday as PDP has overruled its ally.
“As of now, there would be no public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir on September 23 (tomorrow). We have not received any direction from the government to declare public holiday tomorrow,” said a top government official.
September 23 is the birth anniversary of last Hindu ruler of state Maharaja Hari Singh, who ac.
The ruling BJP and Jammu-based parties, bar association, traders and civil society groups had asked the government to declare a public holiday on the birthday of late Maharaja Hari Singh.
The Upper House of Jammu and Kashmir Legislature had in January this year passed a private member’s resolution in absence of opposition seeking holiday on the birthday of the last ruler of J&K, Maharaja Hari Singh.
The resolution was moved in Legislative Council by the grandson of ex-Maharaja and BJP legislator Ajatshatru Singh.
Even senior PDP leader and Minister Naeem Akhtar had talked in favour of Maharaja Hari Singh in Legislative Council and credited him for maintaining identity and secular character of the State. “He brought Article 370 to check cultural erosion and preserve the identity of the people of the State”.
A PDP leader, pleading anonymity, said there is no consensus in the party on declaring September 23 as a public holiday as the party leaders are strongly opposed to it.
He said the State already observed July 13 as Martyrs Day to remember 31 people killed by troops of Maharaja on the day in 1931. “If the state government declares a holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday, then it would contradict the martyrs day being observed by the State on July 13”.
However, BJP chief spokesman Sunil Sethi told New Indian Express that they would continue to pursue it with the government.
He said some traders and Bar Association in Jammu have on their own declared holiday tomorrow. “The Bar lawyers won’t be working tomorrow and traders have decided to celebrate the day”.
Sethi said they would continue to pursue the issue with the government as Legislative Council has already passed a resolution declaring September 23 as a public holiday.
Asked whether not declaring a public holiday on September 23 means that BJP has not pursued the issue forcefully, he said, “We don’t want it to be Jammu versus Kashmir. Our aim is not to make it Jammu versus Kashmir issue. We want to evolve the consensus within the governing parties and opposition. By consensus, we want to celebrate something and celebration not by using the force”.
When asked would it not be a contradiction if the state observed a public holiday on the birthday of Maharaja and also observes “Martyrs Day”, Sethi said, “People on July 13, 19131 were not killed by Maharaja. They were killed because of circumstances created by then. During Operation Blue Star, Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister of the country. Does it make her villain? Maharaja’s forces had killed people in 1931 because of law and order problem”.
The Kashmir-based parties, legislators, lawyers, traders and civil society groups are against declaring a public holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday.