Mehbooba Mufti Calls Jammu and Kashmir UT Foundation Day a Black Day
In Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti declared that her party will continue to observe the Union Territory (UT) Foundation Day as a black day until the special powers of the former state are restored. She expressed this sentiment to reporters, emphasizing that Jammu and Kashmir has become a testing ground for the BJP, aiming to send a message to the country’s minority.
On the same day, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha questioned the absence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other National Conference (NC) leaders from the sixth UT Foundation Day celebrations. Sinha highlighted the importance of recognizing Jammu and Kashmir’s current status as a Union Territory, a reality that must be accepted. He mentioned that Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have outlined a process involving delimitation, Assembly elections, and then the restoration of statehood.
National Conference leaders, including MLA Tanvir Sadiq, have opposed UT Day, advocating for a return to full statehood. They argue that the Union Territory status, imposed in 2019, was unconstitutional and taken from the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir UT Foundation Day commemorates the creation of the Union Territory under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, and was celebrated at the Convention Centre in Jammu.
Earlier in the week, LG Manoj Sinha conducted a review meeting in Srinagar to discuss security and development in the Kashmir division ahead of the UT’s founding day. The meeting included Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Principal Secretary for Home Chandraker Bharti, and other senior officials.
Doubts Revealed
Mehbooba Mufti -: Mehbooba Mufti is a politician in India. She is the Chief of the People’s Democratic Party, which is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in the northern part of India. It used to be a state but is now a Union Territory.
Union Territory -: A Union Territory is a type of region in India that is directly governed by the Central Government, unlike states which have their own governments.
Foundation Day -: Foundation Day is a day to remember when something was started or established. Here, it marks when Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory in 2019.
Black Day -: A Black Day is a day of protest or mourning. Mehbooba Mufti calls it a Black Day because she disagrees with Jammu and Kashmir being a Union Territory.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, which is a major political party in India. They were involved in the decision to change Jammu and Kashmir’s status.
LG Manoj Sinha -: LG stands for Lieutenant Governor. Manoj Sinha is the current Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, representing the Central Government there.
National Conference -: The National Conference is another political party in Jammu and Kashmir. They want the region to be a full state again, not a Union Territory.
