Srinagar: BJP, a coalition partner in the Jammu and Kashmir government with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today stayed away from state function at Mazar-e-Shoudha in the downtown, where 22 Kashmiris killed during Dogra rule in police firing in 1931 outside the Central Jail, Srinagar, are laid to rest. However, BJP, refusing to accept those who laid down their lives on this day in 1931 in the struggle against the autocratic Dogra regime as martyrs. The party has announced to observe ” Black Day” in Jammu today.
The day is being observed as official holiday in the Jammu and Kashmir, where leaders of political parties and separatists, cutting their party lines, are paying tributes to Martyrs every year at Mazar-e-Shouda at Naqashband Sahib shrine in Khawaja Bazar area of down town every year. However, separatists are not being allowed to pay tributes to martyrs due restrictions by the authorities. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, her cabinet and party colleagues were among the first to pay floral tributes to martyrs today, when curfew-like restrictions had been imposed to prevent any law and order problem.
President of the main opposition National Conference (NC) Dr Farooq Abdullah and other leaders of the party also visited the graveyard and paid floral tributes to martyrs. Lashing out at BJP for staying away from the state function, former Chief Minister said the Dogra lineage of BJP makes them stay away from this function. Since the PDP and BJP formed coalition government in the state, the BJP continued to stay away from the function as all BJP members have been elected from Jammu region, dominated by Dogras. BJP did not won a single seat in Kashmir valley and Ladakh region during the 2014 general Assembly election. Meanwhile, BJP leader Anil Gupta has announced, “We are observing Black Day” in Jammu today.
