CM Abdullah, Education Minister criticise observance of public holiday in J&K on Friday

Srinagar, Sep 5 (IANS) A controversy has erupted in J&K over the declaration of a public holiday on Friday in connection with the ‘Eid-e-Milad-ul-Nabi’ (Birthday of the Prophet).

The official holiday on the occasion has been observed in J&K on Friday, as in all Central government offices in the country.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah contested the decision to observe Eid-e-Milad on Friday instead of Saturday.

"The calendar printed by the Government press is very clear - Subject to the appearance of the moon. It means that the holiday is subject to change depending upon the moon being sighted. The deliberate decision by the unelected government to not shift the holiday is inconsiderate & designed to hurt the sentiments of the people", he said in a post on his X handle.

Education Minister Sakina Itoo also criticised the decision. "This is totally unjust that Eid-e-Milad, a sacred occasion for Muslims worldwide, is not observed as a holiday on the correct date in J&K. What does ‘subject to appearance of the moon’ mean if it is not followed? Despite repeated requests from the elected Govt to shift the holiday, no action has been taken", she said in a post on X.

“This is playing with the emotions of the people. Such decisions should be at the helm of the elected government," Itoo said.

Grand Mufti of Kashmir, Nasir-ul-Islam, also expressed strong disappointment over what he termed as the government’s failure to align the official holiday for Eid-e-Milad with the actual sighting of the moon.

In a statement, he said: "It is most unfortunate that despite Eid Milad falling on Saturday as per the sightation of the moon, the Government failed to synchronise the notification accordingly. This total mismatch reflects a negative approach towards a revered day which holds spiritual and religious significance."

He urged the authorities to ensure that such discrepancies are not repeated in the future, stressing that the sanctity of religious occasions must be respected and preserved.

The nightlong prayers on Eid-e-Milad are usually followed by a public holiday in J&K, and according to the Islamic calendar, the Eid-e-Milad nightlong prayers will be held on Friday night.

--IANS

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