Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at the Martyr's Day function in Srinagar.
Jammu:
In a first, the coalition partner of a ruling government boycotted the Martyr's Day in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
In the past, the BJP has observed this day as the "Black Day". Now that it was part of the government, it left the official celebrations to senior partner PDP, triggering reports of yet another rift within the ruling coalition.
"This function which was held in Srinagar, doesn't have any relevance for the BJP," said party spokesperson Khalid Jehangir. "The way we see these things in Kashmir valley, it doesn't benefit the larger population of Jammu and Kashmir."
Underscoring the significance of the day during his address at Srinagar's downtown area, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said the uprising in 1931 against the Dogra rule upheld the ideology of every person getting his rights.
Today, he said, the state was unique. "It has its own constitution, its own flag and the central laws are not implemented without the approval of the state assembly."
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah was quick to point to the differences between the coalition partners, which, he said, "Nobody can deny".
"If you want proof - yesterday the CM hosted an Iftaar party in Delhi and not a single Central leader of the BJP was present. Had the relations been good, somebody would have been present."
The BJP-PDP coalition had been cobbled together only after the two parties managed to overcome substantial ideological differences. Still, the relations had been rocky, with differences surfacing over key issues like the release of separatist Masarat Alam and the return of the remains of executed Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
In the past, the BJP has observed this day as the "Black Day". Now that it was part of the government, it left the official celebrations to senior partner PDP, triggering reports of yet another rift within the ruling coalition.
"This function which was held in Srinagar, doesn't have any relevance for the BJP," said party spokesperson Khalid Jehangir. "The way we see these things in Kashmir valley, it doesn't benefit the larger population of Jammu and Kashmir."
Underscoring the significance of the day during his address at Srinagar's downtown area, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said the uprising in 1931 against the Dogra rule upheld the ideology of every person getting his rights.
Today, he said, the state was unique. "It has its own constitution, its own flag and the central laws are not implemented without the approval of the state assembly."
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah was quick to point to the differences between the coalition partners, which, he said, "Nobody can deny".
"If you want proof - yesterday the CM hosted an Iftaar party in Delhi and not a single Central leader of the BJP was present. Had the relations been good, somebody would have been present."
The BJP-PDP coalition had been cobbled together only after the two parties managed to overcome substantial ideological differences. Still, the relations had been rocky, with differences surfacing over key issues like the release of separatist Masarat Alam and the return of the remains of executed Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
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