Uproar In J&K Assembly Over Maharaja Hari Singh, Sheikh Abdullah Holiday Row
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly faced significant disruption as BJP and National Conference members clashed over the removal of public holidays for Sheikh Abdullah and the introduction of one for Maharaja Hari Singh. The Speaker noted that holiday declarations are outside the Assembly's jurisdiction.
Why it matters
The dispute reflects deep-seated political and historical tensions in the region regarding identity, legacy, and the post-Article 370 political landscape.
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Abdul Majid Larmi raised the issue and demanded that the holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh's birth anniversary be withdrawn if the holiday on Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary was not restored.The demand triggered uproar in the Assembly, with the BJP members raising slogans like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…
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