Key Points

The main function was held at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar city, where Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hoisted the Tricolour and took the salute at the ceremonial parade.

The chief minister first went to the ‘Balidan Stambh’ at Partap Park in Residency Road in the city, where he paid tribute to those brave hearts who laid down their lives in the service of the nation.

In his emotional address at the Bakshi Stadium, the chief minister made a strong case for restoration of statehood and declared that in the eight weeks time given by the Supreme Court to the Government of India to file response to statehood restoration plea, he and all the ministers and MLAs of the ruling National Conference will move to all the 90 Assembly constituencies for a signature campaign to support the demand for statehood.

CM Omar Abdullah said, “Till now, we relied on letters, meetings and communications, but now we will go to the people.

“We will move from place to place in all the 90 Assembly constituencies and knock at every door to obtain signatures and thumb impressions from those who cannot sign, seeking restoration of statehood and give the document signed by lakhs of people to the judges of the Supreme Court and the Government of India”, he asserted.

Referring to Thursday’s proceedings in the Supreme Court about restoration of statehood, CM Abdullah said, “Whether J&K gets statehood or not must be decided by the democracy of India and not by the killers of Pahalgam or their masters across the border in our neighbouring country. I have addressed the Independence Day function as the chief minister of J&K for six years as a state, and nobody better than me knows the difference between a state and a union territory."

He said, "The elected representatives are the brain of a government, but its body is the bureaucracy, and if the two are not well connected, the system cannot work.

“I have not given up our fight for the restoration of statehood, which is our right and which has been promised to us, but I understand the difficulties faced by me and my colleagues in the government because of the dual system of governance. If Naya Kashmir has to be ushered in the real sense, then the difference must show on the ground. I am sorry to say that this difference is seen nowhere at present."

“We believe in the dream of India seen by Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Subhas Chander Bose and others who laid down their lives for the country. I have always said that it is in the interest of the people of J&K that the government here must act in coordination with the Centre and not in confrontation," he said.

“The ray of hope seen by Gandhi in Kashmir appears to be diminished today,” the CM said.

A similar function was held at the MAM Stadium in Jammu city and all other district headquarters of the UT.

The functions and parades in which police, schoolchildren and contingents of home guards, fire and emergency services, etc., took part passed off peacefully and smoothly with no reports of any untoward incident.

- IANS