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Call for restoration of ‘Martyrs Day' heats up as NC set to hold meeting

Call for restoration of ‘Martyrs Day' heats up as NC set to hold meeting

SRINAGAR: With the removal of July 13 'Martyrs' Day' from the list of gazetted holidays by the Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor's administration post Article 370 abrogation, all eyes are now on whether the Omar Abdullah-led government will restore official functions on the day, even as Kashmir-based parties renew their demand to declare it a public holiday.
The BJP has asserted it will strongly oppose holding of any official functions on July 13 to mark 'Martyrs Day'.
'July 13 is a very important day. It is the day of July 13, 1931 martyrs. The NC government should declare a holiday on Martyrs Day,' J&K Apni Party president and former minister Altaf Bukhari said.
He also demanded that the 'Martyrs' Day' be observed at the state level as it used to be.
Before Article 370 abrogation, July 13 was observed as 'Martyrs Day' in erstwhile J&K state to mark the killing of 22 Kashmiri civilians by Dogra troops under Maharaja Hari Singh on this day in 1931.
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