JAMMU,13-07-2023: Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta on Thursday condemned NC leader Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for observing Martyrs Day in Kashmir.
In a statement issued to media persons, Kavinder said that July 13, has no relevance for the country because those who were killed in the conflict were supporters of ‘separatist’ ideology and there is no point in standing in support or commemorating those who sowed the seeds of separatism in J&K. He slammed both Omar and Mehbooba for acting against the very ethos of the country because they are trying to make heroes out of those who were actually the enemies of the people supporting the cause of one nation.
The senior BJP leader said that government has cleared its stance over the issue after ending the celebrations and holiday on this day in the Union Territory and those who are still observing this day are showing their tilt of mind towards separatism, which is unacceptable and needs to be condemned by all the nationalists citizens of the party.
It is pertinent to mention that July 13 used to be a public holiday in the erstwhile state of J&K and a grand official function was held every year on this day where the Chief Minister or the Governor would be the chief guest. For the fourth consecutive year, no function was held to commemorate the ‘Martyrs Day’ in Kashmir to pay homage to 22 Kashmiri people who were killed by the army of a Dogra ruler on this day in 1931.
Kavinder said that India cannot allow people to mark such occasions in the memory of those who attacked the then Government of Maharaja, because those culprits were attackers and not the martyrs. He said that it was sad that successive governments in J&K used to commemorate the killing of those attackers as an official function and a public holiday was also in place but now after the Article 370 has been abolished, the Centre and the J&K administration will not allow people to continue with this illogical tradition where countrymen were misled and forced to remember the traitors as martyrs. He termed the restrictions on allowing the commemoration function of the aforesaid incident right and fully justified.
Meanwhile, Kavinder Gupta strongly criticized the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government over the tragic death of a party leader Vijay Singh in Patna. Expressing his deep anguish and concern, he condemned the incident and called for immediate action to ensure justice for the deceased.
Kavinder expressed his dismay over the deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar. He highlighted the failure of the state government in maintaining peace and ensuring the safety of its citizens, particularly party members who have been targeted in recent incidents. He emphasized that the loss of a party leader is a severe blow to the BJP family, and it is the government’s responsibility to provide a secure environment for political workers to carry out their duties without fear. He demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and swift action against those responsible for the unfortunate incident.
Kavinder Gupta expressed solidarity with the family of the deceased party leader and prayed to God to grant eternal peace to the departed soul.