# BJP walks out of J&K assembly over Maharaja Hari Singh holiday row 2026-09-22T22:14:09+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets BJP MLAs walked out of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday after ruling National Conference MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi demanded that either Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah's birth anniversary be restored as a public holiday or Maharaja Hari Singh's be cancelled. The BJP opposed any removal of the September 23 holiday for Hari Singh, while Congress backed restoring the December 5 holiday for Abdullah but wanted to keep the Hari Singh holiday too. PDP MLAs also supported restoring the July 13 Martyrs' Day holiday. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather said he lacked authority to grant or withdraw holidays. The Lieutenant Governor administration dropped the July 13 and December 5 holidays in 2020 and added September 23 in 2022. PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para separately raised the issue of highway closures in Kashmir during security forces' convoy movements, calling it discriminatory. The autumn session continues. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The J&K Assembly debate over competing historical anniversaries reflects a deeper political contest over regional identity. The Times of India and The Hindu both lead with the walkout and heated exchange, giving equal weight to each party's position. Greater Kashmir provides more granular detail of the procedural back-and-forth and the Speaker's role. All sources report the same core facts: the NC wants Sheikh Abdullah's holiday restored or Hari Singh's removed, the BJP opposes any removal, and the PDP also seeks July 13 restored. The balanced reading is that the dispute is not about history but about which legacy the current elected government and the Lieutenant Governor administration choose to honour. The Speaker's statement that he lacks authority to change holidays signals the real power lies with the LG administration, a dynamic to watch as the autumn session continues. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Led with walkout and BJP protest, framed as heated opposition exchange - thehindu.com (neutral report) Led with noisy scenes, included PDP highway closure issue alongside holiday row - greaterkashmir.com (neutral report) Detailed procedural back-and-forth, included MLA walkout and Speaker's role Tags: BJP, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Maharaja Hari Singh, National Conference, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/jk-assembly-in-uproar-over-maharaja-hari-singh-sheikh-abdullah-holiday-row/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/jk-assembly-in-uproar-over-maharaja-hari-singh-sheikh-abdullah-holiday-row/#story-in-brief