The National Conference (NC) has decided to boycott the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Union Territory (UT) Foundation Day celebrations today at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.
The UT administration is observing the event, with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha as the chief guest.
NC chief spokesperson and Zadibal MLA Tanveer Sadiq said that the decision to skip the event was taken as a mark of protest against the 2019 reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, which stripped the former state of its statehood and divided it into two UTs: J&K and Ladakh.
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“No one from our party will attend this event because we do not recognise its legitimacy,” he said. “We believe that what was taken from us in 2019 was wrong, baseless, unconstitutional, and immoral.”
He said the demand is for the immediate restoration of J&K’s statehood to regain the same status as other states.
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At a gathering of civil society members at SKICC, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stressed the importance of land, employment, and resources for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, while calling for dignity and rights above all else. “In our home, on our own land, don’t we have the right to live with dignity?” he asked.
He said that development projects lack value if they do not ensure respect for the region’s unique identity and rights. “We will fight for all that matters, but my priority is to restore our dignity. We should have the first right to our lands, employment, and resources,” he said, urging unity and respect for Jammu and Kashmir’s heritage.
Since coming to power, the NC has intensified efforts to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. In the first cabinet meeting, the NC-led government passed a resolution calling for the restoration of statehood.
Abdullah later travelled to Delhi to present copies of the resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders.
