Uproar In J&K Assembly Over Maharaja Hari Singh, Sheikh Abdullah Holiday Row

Srinagar: A day before the public holiday marking the birth anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir's last monarch, Maharaja Hari Singh, the Assembly witnessed a heated face-off between BJP and ruling National Conference (NC) members over commemorating the birth anniversary of the Maharaja and J&K's first elected leader, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.After the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Centre withdrew the public holiday on Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary and declared Maharaja Hari Singh's birth anniversary a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir.Soon after the House convened, NC legislator Abdul Majid Larmi raised the issue and demanded that the holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh's birth anniversary be withdrawn if the holiday on Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary was not restored.The demand triggered uproar in the Assembly, with the BJP members raising slogans like "Maharaja Amar Rahay" in support of Maharaja Hari Singh and accusing the NC of insulting his legacy. NC legislators responded with slogans like "Sher-i-Kashmir Zindabad" in support of Sheikh Abdullah, describing him as a symbol of democracy who fought against autocratic rule and secured political and democratic rights for the people. Members of the PDP also joined, demanding restoration of public holiday on July 13, observed as Martyrs' Day in the erstwhile state. Besides withdrawing the holiday on Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary, observed on December 5, the Centre also discontinued the public holiday on July 13 Martyrs's Day. September 23, Maharaja Hari Singh's birth anniversary, is now observed as a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir.Amid the uproar, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather attempted to calm both sides, but slogan-shouting continued. The speaker said the power to declare or withdraw public holidays did not fall within his jurisdiction. Traditionally, July 13 was observed as a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir, with official functions held at the Martyrs' Graveyard to pay tribute to the 22 people killed during the 1931 uprising against the Dogra monarchy under British rule. However, after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in 2019, July 13 was removed from the list of public holidays. Official commemorations and ceremonial police tributes were also discontinued. The 1931 killings and the unrest that followed led to the appointment of two separate commissions to examine the grievances of the Muslim community in Kashmir and eventually resulted in limited political reforms.The first Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held in 1934, marking the beginning of the electoral process in the region, although the Maharaja continued to retain sweeping powers on key matters.