SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly became the stage for a heated debate on Tuesday, centering on the official holiday commemorating the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the erstwhile princely state. The discussion was sparked by a demand from a National Conference (NC) legislator to restore holidays for NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, with a conditional proposal to withdraw the holiday for Maharaja Hari Singh if the former’s commemorations were not reinstated.
The exchange occurred on the second day of the J&K Assembly’s autumn session, just a day before the Union Territory observes the public holiday for Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary on September 23. NC MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi initiated the debate during Question Hour, calling for the reinstatement of holidays related to Sheikh Abdullah. He explicitly questioned the continuation of the holiday for Maharaja Hari Singh, suggesting that if holidays for Sheikh Abdullah were not restored, then the holiday for Maharaja Hari Singh should also be withdrawn.
This proposal immediately drew strong objections from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators. BJP MLA Devyani Rana from Nagrota strongly condemned what she termed an “attempt to raise the issue of cancelling the public holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh.” She asserted that the holiday for Maharaja Hari Singh is the fulfillment of a genuine and emotional demand from a significant portion of the population in Jammu and Kashmir and declared, “Maharaja Ji’s holiday will not be cancelled.” Rana further stated that any move to undo this holiday, coupled with suggestions for the division of the Jammu region, would be an affront to the sentiments, history, and identity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and would not be permitted.
BJP members echoed Rana’s sentiments, rising from their seats and raising slogans of “Maharaja Amar Rahe” and “Maharaja Hari Singh hamara hai.” They accused the NC legislator of disrespecting the memory of Maharaja Hari Singh and disregarding the feelings of those who hold him in high regard.
Meanwhile, other opposition parties also voiced their perspectives. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed ur Rehman Para supported the call for restoring July 13, observed as Martyrs’ Day, as a public holiday. He argued that this date commemorates sacrifices that marked the beginning of Jammu and Kashmir’s political awakening and deserved to be reinstated. Congress legislators expressed support for restoring the holiday on Sheikh Abdullah’s birth anniversary but emphasized the importance of retaining the holiday for Maharaja Hari Singh.
The issue of holidays has been a recurring point of contention following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Subsequently, the administration removed two public holidays from the official calendar: July 13 (Martyrs’ Day) and December 5 (Sheikh Abdullah’s birth anniversary). These dates have not been restored in the government holiday calendar for the past several years.
The Assembly Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, informed the members that decisions regarding government holidays fall outside his authority. Despite the heated exchanges, BJP members eventually staged a walkout from the Assembly, citing their dissatisfaction with the government’s approach to the issues raised.
Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary, September 23, was first included in the official calendar as a public holiday in 2022, following persistent demands from various political, social, and cultural groups in the Jammu region. The holiday was approved by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in recognition of Maharaja Hari Singh’s contributions to Jammu and Kashmir.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
