BJP must come clean on observance of Martyrs' day: JKNPP

Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) today asked the BJP to come clean on its stand over the observance of July 13 as the Martyrs' Day in the state.
"When in Opposition the saffron party demanded cancellation of holiday on this day and now when the same party is in power, they have adopted a criminal silence on the issue," JKNPP chairman Harsh Dev Singh told reporters here today.
He said that along with this issue the BJP has compromised on its stand on several other issues for the "lust of power" in the state.
Singh said that it was unfortunate that the state government has ignored the supreme sacrifice of martyrs like Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev and was busy observing July 13 as holiday.

July 13 is observed as Martyrs' Day to mark the death of 21 protesters in firing by Dogra Army outside Srinagar Central Jail in 1931. The day is observed as an official holiday in the state every year.
Singh said that hundreds of incidents of arson, murders, loot and plunder were executed in the aftermath of the pandemonium that followed the killing of 21 Kashmiri people who had revolted against Maharaja's regime in 1931.
"The incident was further followed by desecration of religious places of worship and forced conversions which till date continued to be condemned by the BJP and its frontal organisations as black day," he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today attended the Martyrs' Day function, from which its coalition partner in the state BJP kept away.