‘Rubbing Salt on Our Wounds’: Omar Abdullah on Nagaland State Day Celebrations in J&K

Fostering the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Nagaland Statehood Day was celebrated at Raj Bhawan in Jammu on Friday, leading to criticism from National Conference leader and former CM Omar Abdullah

National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the Raj Bhavan was “rubbing salt into the wounds” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir by celebrating Nagaland Statehood Day.

Fostering the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Nagaland Statehood Day was celebrated with enthusiasm at Raj Bhavan in Jammu on Friday, an official spokesperson said.

However, referring to the celebration of the statehood day of another state, Abdullah said irony comes to die in Jammu and Kashmir as the Union Territory day was celebrated after it was downgraded from a state.

“Irony comes to die in J&K. Here we celebrate Nagaland Statehood day in Raj Bhavan, Jammu, while celebrating “Union Territory Day” when it comes to J&K. Talk about rubbing salt into the wounds of the people here,” Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said in a post on X.

Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into J&K and Ladakh on August 5, 2019, when the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution. The administration celebrated the Union Territory Day on October 31.