New J&K Administration cancels holidays on Sheikh Abdullah's birthday and Martyr's Day

Srinagar: The government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has dropped ex-chief minister Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary and Martyrs' Day from its list of public holidays for the year 2020, but October 26 which is observed as 'Accession Day' figures in it.

The General Administration Department of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir had on December 27 issued a list of holidays for the calendar year 2020 through an official order.

The official order was issued by GL Sharma, the deputy secretary of the General Administration Department.

''The government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday declared October 26, the day J&K acceded to the Union of India in 1947, as a public holiday in the calendar year for 2020,'' the order said.

According to the official order, there will be no holiday on Martyr's Day on July 13 and Sheikh Abdullah's birthday on December 5.

Besides, the J&K Administration also did not even declare September 23 - the birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh - as a holiday, which has been a major demand of the BJP and other Jammu-based other parties.

According to the list issued by GL Sharma, the deputy secretary of the General Administration Department, 27 public holidays will be observed throughout the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in 2020, compared to 28 in the previous calendar year.