Eid Milad-un-Nabi holiday date sparks row, Omar targets L-G admn

A major controversy erupted in the Valley on Friday after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha did not issue orders to change the public holiday for Eid Milad-un-Nabi, which is being observed tomorrow in the Union Territory.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called it a “deliberate decision by the unelected government to hurt the sentiments of the people.”

According to the official calendar issued by Jammu and Kashmir’s General Administration Department (GAD), September 5 was marked as a public holiday for Eid Milad-un-Nabi, marking Prophet Mohammed’s birth anniversary. However, since this Muslim holiday depends on the sighting of the new moon and is now being observed on Saturday in Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha did not issue any order to change the holiday.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday that 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 and designed to hurt the sentiments of the people,” he said on X.

Earlier on Friday, J&K Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo described it as “totally unjust” that Eid Milad-un-Nabi, a sacred occasion for Muslims worldwide, is not being observed as a holiday on the correct date in J&K.

She added that despite “repeated requests from the elected government to shift the holiday, no action has been taken.” “This is playing with the emotions of the people. Such decisions should be in the hands of the elected government,” she wrote on X.

The issue drew criticism from political parties and religious leaders alike. Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq “strongly condemned” the “utter disregard of authorities.”

“This deliberate negligence is unacceptable to the Muslims of J&K who strongly protest it. Equally regrettable is the silence of the elected government, who fail to take a stand on any issue of the people of J&K,” Mirwaiz said.

The party of jailed MP Engineer Rashid called it “a brazen disregard of the religious sentiments of the Muslim community.”

Kashmir’s Grand Mufti’s office said the “total mismatch reflects a negative approach towards a revered day which holds spiritual and religious significance.”

Reacting to the issue, PDP leader Iltija Mufti said, “How unfortunate that a blessed occasion like Eid Milad-un-Nabi for Muslims all over the world is not even being observed on the correct day in J&K.”

Meanwhile, the BJP stated they have urged the Lieutenant Governor to announce a holiday on Saturday.

In December last year, on the order of the J&K L-G, the GAD had invoked Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, while announcing public holidays for the calendar year 2025. Given the UT status of Jammu and Kashmir, it is the L-G who has the authority to decide on public holidays.