J&K observes holiday on Dogra king Hari Singh’s birthday; BJP holds special functions

The BJP on Wednesday celebrated the birth anniversary of Dogra Maharaja Hari Singh and praised his move to accede to India in 1947. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the role of party founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, who was dropped from the official holiday list of J&K by the Lieutenant Governor’s (LG) administration. 

The BJP held a series of functions in Srinagar and Jammu on the occasion. Speaking on the birth anniversary of the Dogra Maharaja, BJP leader and J&K Waqf Board chairperson Darakshan Andrabi said, “Maharaja Hari Singh took the wise decision in 1947 by acceding to India. How much have we benefited from the decision. Today we are with India, our country,” said Ms. Andrabi.

Ms. Andrabi described Mr. Singh’s rule as inclusive. “In his court, there were Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians. Everyone had to get equal rights,” said Ms. Andrabi.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also paid homage to the Maharaja in a message on X. “Maharaja Hari Singh was an enlightened statesman and progressive thinker who introduced several significant reforms focused on the welfare and empowerment of the people. His principles of public service, equality and inclusive development continue to hold significance and inspire people,” said Mr. Sinha.

There was an official holiday in J&K on the birth anniversary of the Maharaja on September 23. It was included in the holiday list by the Lieutenant Governor’s administration in 2022. However, the birth and death anniversaries of National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Abdullah as holidays were dropped from the list, which has sparked strong reaction from the NC.

NC legislator Tanvir Sadiq questioned the move to drop Mr. Abdullah’s anniversaries as holidays. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the irony. A leader associated with land reforms that empowered the tiller and transferred land ownership to the poor has his holiday removed, while a holiday commemorating the ruler under whose reign Kashmiris endured repression is celebrated. No hatred. No prejudice. Just history. Facts are facts,” said Mr. Sadiq.

J&K CM Abdullah said Sheikh Abdullah’s role in J&K’s history was well known. “The sacrifices made by the NC could not be forgotten. No one can forget the role of Sher-e-Kashmir here. The BJP was attempting to present history differently whenever it disagreed with a particular narrative,” said Mr. Abdullah.

He said to those people who didn’t take part in the fight for freedom, what lesson will they teach us? “RSS and the ancestral party of BJP, everyone knows their role in the fight for freedom. Everyone knows who apologised and what they did,” he added.