J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha slams NC top brass including Omar Abdullah for boycotting UT day celebrations

LG criticizes absentees who swore an oath on Constitution yet skipped J&K UT event

The sixth foundation day celebrations of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir turned sour on Thursday after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha slammed the National Conference leadership, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, for boycotting the event at Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar.

In a veiled but direct attack on Omar Abdullah, Lieutenant Governor without mincing any words said those who took an oath on the Constitution while J&K is a UT, stayed away today. This is a duplicity of character. The reality is this is a UT; the day JK is made a state, we will also celebrate that”.

Underlining the significance of observing UT Day, LG observed that Jammu and Kashmir’s current status as a Union Territory is a reality. “Home Minister had said in Parliament that delimitation would happen first, then elections, and statehood at an appropriate time.

The UT day celebrations were organized by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir in Srinagar. On October 16, LG Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office to Omar Abdullah as the first chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Striking a discordant note ahead of the UT day celebrations, the ruling party in Kashmir valley had announced that no party leader would attend the Union Territory Foundation day function in Srinagar where LG Manoj Sinha is going to be the Chief Guest.

The announcement was made by National Conference (NC) leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq during his brief interaction with the media in Srinagar.

“None of us will go to the UT Foundation Day. Because we do not accept the UT Foundation Day,” Sadiq, the party’s Chief Spokesperson and Head of Communications, told reporters in Srinagar on Wednesday.

Sadiq said our party has never recognized the UT Foundation Day and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has passed a resolution in the cabinet demanding statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. For this, he met the PM and all other important central ministers. We believe that the UT Foundation Day is illegal, unconstitutional, and without the stamp of the people.
He emphasized the party’s call for the swift restoration of statehood, adding, “We want that the statehood be restored as soon as possible so that we can enjoy our state as well, like the other states.”

The NC’s stance against UT Day celebrations reflects a continuation of last year’s stance, when NC Vice President Omar Abdullah referred to October 31 as a “day of mourning.”
Last year, the Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir marked October 31 as a “black day,” staging protests in both Srinagar and Jammu to voice their opposition.

In another significant development, the Omar Abdullah-led government Wednesday decided to restore the academic session up to the 9th standard to November-December instead of the March session.

J&K’s education minister Sakina Itoo said that the academic session will be restored to November-December up to the 9th standard.

“For now, we will restore the academic session back to November-December up to 9th standard. For students of 10th to 12th, academic sessions will be restored from next year,” she said.

Earlier in 2022, the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir said that the Uniform Academic Calendar shall be followed from the 2022-23 academic year. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also congratulated her for restoring the old academic calendar.

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