Conflict over Eid-e-Milad Holiday in J&K, Abdullah Govt Blames LG For 'Playing With Emotions'

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-09-05 11:11:59 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-07 16:21:48

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Abdullah Govt Blames LG Administration For 'Playing With Emotions'

A holiday celebrating Eid-e-Milad, the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad, is a contentious issue between the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government and the lieutenant governor (LG) administration. The local government, led by Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, accused the LG administration of "playing with the emotions of the people" after the holiday was not moved from Friday to Saturday.

The issue is that the Muslim majority in J&K would benefit from the holiday on Saturday, as it would allow them to attend prayers and celebrations simultaneously with the rest of the world. Instead, only the minority will benefit from the holiday on Friday.

According to the Minister for Public Works and Information, Naeem Akhtar, "The smaller section of the community will observe it on Friday, while the larger population will celebrate it on Saturday. This is for the first time that such an arrangement has been made by the government."

The argument is that the LG administration fails to appreciate the sentiments of the people, Akhtar said. "Unfortunately, there is a mindset that doesn't want to address the issues concerning the Muslims of the country," he added.

This conflict over religious holidays comes after the Central government's decision to recognize Prophet Muhammad's birthday as a national holiday in India. The decision was made to promote inclusivity and respect for diverse religious cultures in India.

However, the J&K government and the LG administration have different takes on the celebration of this important day for Muslims.

The LG administration maintains that the holiday was not announced on Saturday due to security concerns. The festival is celebrated by Muslims across the world, but the Jammu region of J&K has seen targeted killings of Hindus and Sikhs, as well as terrorist attacks.

The administration did not want to disrupt the peace in the region, citing reasons of public safety.

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