BJP trashes plea on celebrating J&K's own R-Day

Dismissing the PIL seeking for celebrating November 17 as the Republic Day in Jammu and Kashmir as violative of the spirit of the Constitution, BJP on Thursday  said the contention itself is erroneous because the constitution of J&K came into force only on 26 January 1957.

“We dismiss the contention in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in J&K High Court as mischievous, absurd, factually incorrect and violative of the spirit of constitution,” BJP National Executive Member & J&K Chief Spokesperson Dr Jitendra Singh told reporters.

A petition was filed in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday seeking directions to the state government to observe November 17 as the state’s Republic Day.
Abdul Qayoom Khan, a former Forest officer, filed the PIL seeking directions to the government for celebrating November 17 as the Republic Day of the state.

BJP’s Chief  Spokesperson in J&K said PIL, which seeks to celebrate November 17 as its Republic Day because it was on this day in 1956 when people of the state adopted their Constitution, is factually incorrect.

He said, “First of all, the contention itself is erroneous because the constitution of J&K came into force only on 26 January 1957 and secondly, the Republic Day on 26 January is observed to commemorate the constitution of India which has precedence over the constitution of J&K and the constitution of J&K itself acknowledges this fact.”

The PIL is deliberately prompted by certain vested interests in the wake of a countrywide debate currently going on about the merits and demerits of Article 370, he said.

Dr Singh said the mindset behind this PIL is also a vindication of the argument that Article 370 has not only created physical but also psychological barriers to the ultimate disadvantage of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.