Srinagar: National Conference leader and minister Javed Ahmed Rana said on Thursday that they are not only “boycotting” the Union Territory (UT) Foundation Day but also “rejecting” it.
Rana said that the NC consistently advocates for the restoration of statehood and special status for J-K.
“Not only do we boycott the UT Foundation Day (/topic/ut-foundationday), but we also reject it. Our mandate is against the UT; we will always talk about state restoration and special status… The abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, and giving J-K the status of Union Territory was not a good step,” he said.
Earlier today, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti said that her party would continue to observe the Union Territory (UT) Foundation Day as a black day till the special powers of the erstwhile state were not restored.
“… I want to tell Governor Sahab that for Jammu and Kashmir and especially for the PDP, today is a black day. We will continue to observe it as a black day until the special powers of Jammu and Kashmir are not restored, ” Mehbooba Mufti told reporters in Anantnag.
Earlier in the day, J&K LG Manoj Sinha) questioned Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other National Conference (NC) leaders for not attending the sixth Union UT Foundation Day celebrations on Thursday.
In his statement, Sinha underlined the significance of observing UT Day, noting that Jand K’s current status as a Union Territory is a reality.
“I am seeing that those who took oath as MLA of a Union Territory and often refer to the Constitution of India (are not here),” Sinha said in his address at the UT’s fifth Foundation Day.
“The ground reality is that it is a UT today. When it will be made a state, and we want it to be a state, we will celebrate statehood foundation day as well. This shows their dual character,” he added.
We reject UT foundation day: NC Minister Rana
