Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said he did not authorise the celebration of the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’ in schools. He also said that there should be no outside dictation on such matters and no interference in governing the Union Territory. “We should decide what happens in our schools without outside dictation on these matters,” Abdullah told reporters.

On October 30, the culture department of J-K had called for schools across Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of “Vande Mataram.”