In a statement following his landslide victory in the recent assembly elections, Tanvir Sadiq, the National Conference (NC) MLA from Zadibal, announced that neither he nor his party colleagues would attend the Union Territory (UT) Foundation Day function scheduled for tomorrow.
“We don’t accept Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory. So, none of us will attend the UT Foundation Day function,” Sadiq declared, firmly reiterating his party’s stance.
Sadiq secured the Zadibal seat in Srinagar with a commanding margin, contributing to the National Conference’s resurgence as the dominant political force in the valley.
The party, led by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, won over 42 seats in what was the first assembly election held after a decade-long gap.
The elections come after a prolonged political vacuum, with Jammu and Kashmir stripped of its special status in August 2019 under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
The state was bifurcated into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. This move not only altered the region’s political landscape but also stirred widespread discontent among the local population, particularly in the Kashmir Valley.
The National Conference has consistently challenged the August 2019 decisions, calling for the restoration of full statehood and the return of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
The upcoming UT Foundation Day, marking the anniversary of Jammu Kashmir’s reorganization, has faced resistance from several political quarters.