Srinagar: National Conference and Congress legislators have decided to boycott the Jammu and Kashmir 'UT Foundation Day' event to be held at SKICC in Srinagar on Thursday.
The administration will observe October 31 as the 'UT Foundation Day' with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha as the chief guest of the main event. Besides the bureaucrats, the invitations have been sent to the new legislators of the National Conference and Congress.
However, the NC and Congress legislators said they will not be attending the event they believe is a "black day" in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. "Are we here to celebrate the downgrading of a state when the people voted us for restoration of statehood," a Congress legislator told ETV Bharat.
Last year, the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir observed the day as "black day" and protested in Kashmir and Jammu cities. The protests were led by then Congress J&K president Viqar Rasool Wani in Srinagar and working president Raman Bhalla in Jammu.
National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi said that the NC legislators may have been invited but none from the party will attend the function.
"How would we go when we are against the decision of downgrading Jammu and Kashmir into a union territory and have opposed it from day one. The NC-led government also passed a resolution for restoration of full statehood in its first cabinet sitting," Nabi told ETV Bharat.
An NC legislator who has been invited to the event at SKICC as "VVIP", said that how can he attend the day which for the whole of Jammu and Kashmir is a "black day". "We observe it as a black day, how can it be a celebration for us," the legislator told ETV Bharat.
PDP Legislator from Tral constituency of Pulwama district said that he has not got any invitation. "I have not received any invitation from the divisional administration. I will not have gone to any function of UT observation day. We cannot celebrate our downfall and downgrading of a state," Naik told ETV Bharat.
Interestingly, officials said this year no 'UT Foundation Day' events at district or block levels will be held, a stark contrast to previous years where such functions were held at multiple administrative levels across the Union Territory.
Last year, the divisional administration had asked the Deputy Commissioners from every district to hold events in Panchayats, blocks, and educational institutions to commemorate UT Foundation Day. The Deputy Commissioners had instructed staff to ensure that members of the Panchayat Raj Institute post selfies on social media.
The administration had asked its officers to conduct door-to-door campaigns to educate the public about the significance of Union Territory Foundation Day, and ensure that educational institutions participate in the celebration.
Recently, the Omar Abdullah-led cabinet passed the resolution for restoration of the statehood in his first cabinet and the resolution was cleared by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Omar last week submitted the resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, reminding them to restore the promised statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Sinha, who is the chief guest on UT observance day tomorrow, cleared the resolution in the first go and the official spokesman issued a statement too about it.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bhiduri didn't respond to the calls about the celebrations which will be held on the day tomorrow. Last year, Omar Abdullah, the NC vice president, and now chief minister of the UT, had said: “Were we consulted before creating the UT? Did we have a say in this decision? Did we benefit from this decision?”
The Jammu and Kashmir state was divided into two union territories and its special status was snatched by the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
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