NC, Congress not to attend J&K UT Foundation Day celebrations

The National Conference (NC) and Congress have decided to stay away from the Jammu and Kashmir 'Union Territory (UT) Foundation Day' celebrations being observed on Thursday. 

The Lt Governor-led administration has been celebrating the UT Foundation Day for the last two years on October 31 to coincide with the implementation of the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019 when the erstwhile state formally became a UT.

The government had organised a series of functions and events as well as competitions to celebrate the day last year.

The UT Foundation Day is being celebrated across J&K on Thursday for which Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on last Sunday chaired a meeting, reviewing the preparations at the Raj Bhawan here.

Political parties in power including the NC and the Congress have said that none of their leaders will be participating in the UT Foundation Day in Jammu and Kashmir.

NC MLA and spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said that the party has promised the revival of Darbar Move, which was the legacy of J&K. "It is directly linked with the restoration of statehood. The efforts over the restoration of statehood are on and we are hopeful that it will be restored at the earliest and the Darbar Move will be revived thereafter."

"The mandate given by the people is for five years and we will fulfil all the promises and guarantees made in the manifesto one by one. Every promise will be fulfilled including Article 370 and Article 35A. The work on this will be started at the earliest. None of the leaders within the party will be attending the UT Foundation Day," he said.

"We believe whatever has been snatched from us was done unconstitutionally and immorally. We want statehood to be restored and no leader from the party will be attending the UT Foundation Day event," Sadiq said.

J&K Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra said that the party will not attend the celebrations since the party has never recognised J&K as the Union Territory.

"How can we go and celebrate something, which has been arbitrarily, unconstitutionally and undemocratically thrust upon us? If they are glorifying it, we cannot be a part of the glorification of injustice meted to us," he said.

Meanwhile, the J&K Legislative Assembly is meeting here for a short session on November 4. The NC has decided to table a resolution in the Assembly seeking the restoration of Article 370.

With 29 MLAs in the 90-member legislative assembly, the BJP will oppose the resolution.