"Person holding constitutional post should rise above party politics": BJP's Ravinder Raina on NC, PDP boycotting UT Foundation Day

Jammu and Kashmir regional parties including the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday boycotted the UT Foundation Day celebrations.

On JKNC and Congress boycotting the UT Foundation Day, Raina told ANI, "Every year October 31 is celebrated as UT Foundation Day...It is the responsibility of the person who is giving his services on a constitutional post to attend the programs which come under the constitution. When a person has a constitutional post then that person should rise above party politics...I hope that the J&K CM (Omar Abdullah) will attend these kinds of programs in the future..."

On soldiers of the Indian and Chinese Army exchanging sweets along the LAC, on the occasion of Diwali, he said, "...Soldiers of the Indian and Chinese Army celebrated Diwali along the border...I thank all the officials of the Chinese army who celebrated the festival of Diwali with the Indian soldiers. India has always made efforts to ensure peace along the border. This is a very positive step..."

Earlier in the day, J&K LG Manoj Sinha questioned CM 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.

"This is not the first time we are celebrating this day. The elections in JK just finished a few days back...Everyone cannot come to attend the event but Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory as of date and we will have to accept this fact. PM Modi and Union HM Amit Shah also said the delimitation first, Assembly elections second and then statehood. When PM Modi came here on Yoga Day, he said that Assembly elections will be conducted soon and then the status of statehood will be given to JK," Sinha said.

National Conference leaders have been vocal in their opposition to UT Day, calling for a return to full statehood. NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq earlier stated that the NC would not observe UT Day because the party does not recognize Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory, claiming that its status was taken from the people of J-K in 2019 and was unconstitutional.

Speaking to ANI, the JKNC spokesperson reiterated, "We will never settle for Union Territory status. Our demand is firm: full statehood and the rightful status Jammu and Kashmir held before August 5, 2019."

Mehbooba Mufti told reporters in Anantnag, "... 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."

JK UT Foundation Day marks the creation of the Union Territory under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. This year, like the previous one, it was celebrated at the Convention Centre in Jammu. (ANI)