Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, July 11: Senior BJP leader and former Minister, Bali Bhagat, today came down heavily on the National Conference (NC) and other Kashmir based political parties for repeatedly invoking July 13, calling it a deliberate and divisive attempt to keep alive a separatist narrative that has long been rejected by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a press statement issued here, today, the former Minister said that observing July 13 as “Martyrs’ Day” is not only historically misleading but also politically dangerous, as it glorifies those who acted against the sovereign authority of the then Dogra regime and sowed the seeds of communal discord.
“NC is once again trying to play the same old card that brought nothing but bloodshed and division to Jammu and Kashmir. July 13 has no relevance in today’s India. Those who died were not freedom fighters but aggressors who attacked the lawful Government of the day. Calling them martyrs is an insult to the real heroes of the country,” he asserted.
The senior BJP leader added that the removal of the holiday post-Article 370 abrogation was a conscious and correct decision by the Government to end decades of appeasement politics. “Those demanding to restore this holiday are clearly uncomfortable with the idea of a united and peaceful Jammu and Kashmir. Their intentions are questionable, and their actions reflect a mindset still trapped in separatist sympathies,” he said.
Bali Bhagat further said that the people of J&K, especially the youth, want progress and prosperity-not the baggage of distorted history. “NC and its allies should stop misleading the public. They must accept that the Union Territory is moving towards peace, and such symbolic provocations won’t be tolerated anymore,” he stated.
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