A fierce political row has erupted in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir over the demand to restore the public holiday on July 13, as regional parties from the Kashmir Valley jointly raised this demand.

Although the ruling National Conference has written to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha requesting the restoration of the July 13 holiday as a mark of respect for the martyrs of 1931, opposition parties have termed the move as merely symbolic.

“Just like the Article 370 resolution and the Waqf Amendment resolution, this too is a brazen attempt by the Omar Abdullah government to shift the onus from the elected government to their party,” the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) posted on its official social media handle.

“Unfortunately, the Chief Minister is shying away from owning this Martyrs’ Day announcement as part of the government’s official business and is instead quietly delegating it to the party’s general secretary,” the PDP further stated, adding, “For the first time in 78 years, an elected government in J&K is distancing itself from the martyrs who laid down their lives against autocracy.”

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti accused the National Conference of adopting a “double-speak” policy on Kashmir’s history.

She recalled that the then J&K Legislative Assembly Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, had rejected a PDP resolution—moved by one of its MLAs—seeking official recognition of July 13 as Martyrs’ Day to commemorate the 22 protestors killed in 1931 during the uprising against Dogra rule.
“Their silence proves complicity, not commitment,” she said.

“The memory of the July 13 martyrs is both cherished and sacred. Denying them a day of remembrance will not erase their legacy or diminish their sacrifice.

We support any proposal to officially re-declare July 13 as a holiday. It is the least we can do for those who laid down their lives. For us, all non-combatants and civilians killed after 1989 are also martyrs,” stated Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone.

Speaker refutes Mehbooba’s allegation

In response to Mehbooba Mufti’s post on social media platform regarding the resolution by PDP on declaration of holiday on 13th July, Speaker, Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Advocate Abdul Rahim Rather categorically denied the statement made by Mehbooba Mufti on social media and said that the said statement is misleading and not based on facts.

Abdul Rahim Rather stated that the said resolution submitted by Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra was admitted during the Budget Session 2025-26 held in the month of March at Jammu.

He said that the Assembly Secretariat received a total of 111 Resolutions from 34 members, out of which 87 resolutions were admitted for balloting and the rest were disallowed as per rules.  Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra also submitted four resolutions, out of which two were admitted which including the resolution “declaring 13th July as an official holiday to remember the sacrifices of the protestors against autocratic monarch forces”.

Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra was accordingly informed through the Assembly Secretariat Bulletin No.LA1353/Legn/2025 dated 14/03/2025.

As per prescribed rules relative precedence of the private members’ resolutions was determined by separate balloting in terms of Rule-28 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in J&K Legislative Assembly in presence of seven members on 25th of March 2025 and 14 resolutions secured place in balloting which were listed in the House on 7th & 9th of April, 2025.

The Resolution submitted by Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra,  though admitted, did not secure place during the balloting process. So the process was completed as per the Rules of Procedure.
He further said that the post of Speaker is the epitome of impartiality and in no case it can be construed that the Resolution has been rejected outright by the Speaker, which is not factually correct.

Apni party echoes demand

Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari also echoed the demand to declare July 13 as “Martyrs’ Day” in remembrance of those killed in 1931.

“Apni Party is not merely demanding a holiday on July 13. That day happens to fall on a Sunday this year anyway. What we are demanding is that the government hold an official function to mark the occasion,” Bukhari said.

He added that if the National Conference government does not want to observe it officially, the Apni Party will.
“We have formally applied for permission to visit the Mazaar-e-Shuhada (Martyrs’ Graveyard) and will go there to offer Fatiha and pay our respects. It is because of their sacrifices that we are here today,” he said.

NC has already written to LG to observe July 13 as “Martyrs’ Day”

The ruling National Conference has written to the Srinagar administration requesting a time slot for the July 13 Martyrs’ Day function. The party has also submitted a formal request to J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, urging him to reinstate July 13 as a public holiday in honour of those who laid down their lives in 1931 during the fight against autocratic rule.

Since 2020, both July 13 and the birthday of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah (December 5) have been removed from the official calendar of public holidays.

Despite winning the Assembly elections and forming the government in October last year, the National Conference has so far failed to restore these holidays, even though both dates form the ideological bedrock of the party’s politics.

NC hits back at Mehbooba

While asserting that the July 13 holiday will be reinstated at the earliest, National Conference chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq hit back at PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari, accusing them of hypocrisy over their remarks on the Martyrs’ Day observance.

Sadiq questioned the moral standing of both parties to comment on the matter, alleging that during their alliance with the BJP, they failed to honour the legacy of the 1931 martyrs.
“When Mehbooba Mufti was Chief Minister, not once did any of her BJP cabinet colleagues visit the Martyrs’ Graveyard to pay homage on July 13,” Sadiq said.

After the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir administration, under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, removed ‘Martyrs’ Day’ from the official holiday calendar. Since then, there has been a growing demand—particularly from Kashmir-based parties, including the ruling NC—to reinstate July 13 as a public holiday.