As the ruling National Conference stayed away from the foundation day function of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha veiledly attacked those who skipped this important event on Thursday.
"As of now Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory and we must accept their reality", Manoj Sinha said while addressing the foundation day function of the J&K Union Territory at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar.
In an obvious reference towards Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other ministers for boycotting the foundation day function, the LG said, "Those who took oaths on the Indian Constitution have shown duplicity standards by staying away from the UT foundation day. The reality is that Jammu and Kashmir is a union territory right now. Once statehood is restored, we will celebrate it as well".
Statehood would be restored at the appropriate time.
While reminding leaders of the ruling party that Jammu and Kashmir is a UT, the Lieutenant Governor said that statehood would be restored at the appropriate time. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Yoga Day function at the same venue assured that statehood would be restored at the appropriate time", the LG assured the gathering, adding, "When statehood would be restored, that day will also be celebrated like foundation day of the J&K UT".
The LG told the gathering that the Prime Minister has repeatedly announced that delimitation would be followed by the Assembly elections and then statehood would be restored. He made it clear that after successful conduct of the Assembly elections, next step in J&K is the restoration of the statehood.
While congratulating people on the foundation day of J&K UT, the Lieutenant Governor said that during the last five years, Jammu and Kashmir has achieved many milestones. "People's faith in the democratic institutions have restored after the successful conduct of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in J&K", he said and added that the process has already been initiated to hold the Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections which were delayed due to some constitutional issues.
Ruling alliance boycotts J&K UT's foundation day function
The National Conference-Congress alliance government boycotted today's Foundation Day function as a mark of protest against the delay in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
J&K National Conference leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq has already announced on Wednesday that no NC representatives would attend the Union Territory Foundation Day ceremony The event marks the anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir's transition from statehood to Union Territory (UT) status on 31 October 2019, with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha presided over the function.
"None of us will go to the UT Foundation Day. We do not accept the UT Foundation Day," stated Sadiq, who serves as the party's Chief Spokesperson and Head of Communications. He condemned the 2019 abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status as "unconstitutional and immoral" and renewed the NC's demand for the restoration of statehood.
"We want statehood restored as soon as possible so that we can enjoy our state like other states," Sadiq said.
This boycott continues the NC's opposition to UT status, following party Vice President Omar Abdullah's previous remarks labeling October 31 as a "day of mourning".
The Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir has also observed the date with disapproval, last year, they marked it as a "black day," holding protests led by the then J&K Congress president Viqar Rasool Wani in Srinagar and Working President Raman Bhalla in Jammu.
