On ‘Martyrs Day’, J&K leaders put under house arrest, access to old city graveyard blocked

SRINAGAR — Several leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including members of the ruling National Conference, were placed under house arrest today to prevent them from visiting the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar’s old city.

The leaders had planned to pay tributes to the 22 people killed during a protest against the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh on July 13, 1931.

Authorities sealed all roads leading to the Martyrs’ graveyard—also known as Mazar-e-Shohada—in the Nowhatta area, deploying heavy contingents of police and central armed forces in several sensitive areas of Srinagar to maintain order.

The Srinagar district administration had last evening denied permission to political parties to visit the graveyard, warning of strict legal action against those violating the order.

“The general public is hereby advised to strictly comply with these instructions and refrain from violating the orders issued by District Administration. Any violation of these orders shall invite strict legal action under relevant provisions of law,” the Srinagar Police said last evening.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the restrictions, calling it “blatantly undemocratic.”

“In a blatantly undemocratic move, homes have been locked from the outside, police & central forces deployed as jailers & major bridges in Srinagar blocked. All to stop people from visiting a historically important graveyard containing the graves of people who laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice & to empower them. I will never understand what the Law & Order government is so afraid of,” Omar said in a post on X.

He was reacting to a post by the party’s Chief Spokesman and MLA, Tanvir Sadiq, who said that leaders had been confined to their homes.

“Since last night, I, like many of my colleagues, including the party leadership at Gupkar, the Advisor to the Chief Minister, and a majority of sitting MLAs, have been locked inside my home. This is not just unfortunate; it is a deliberate attempt to suppress remembrance and deny us the opportunity to observe July 13. Such actions are not only unnecessary, but they are undemocratic, deeply insensitive, and reflect a troubling disregard for history,” Sadiq said.

Omar further said that those who laid down their lives in 1931 were being wrongly vilified.

“The 13th July massacre is our Jallianwala Bagh. The people who laid down their lives did so against the British. Kashmir was being ruled under the British Paramountcy. What a shame that true heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims. We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today, but we will not forget their sacrifices,” he said.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also criticised the government’s action.

“The day you accept our heroes as your own, just as Kashmiris have embraced yours, from Mahatma Gandhi to Bhagat Singh, that day, as Prime Minister Modi once said, the “dil ki doori” (distance of hearts) will truly end. When you lay siege to the Martyrs’ Graveyard, lock people in their homes to prevent them from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada, it speaks volumes. July 13th commemorates our martyrs, those who rose against tyranny, much like countless others across the country. They will always be our heroes,” she said.

Several PDP leaders were also placed under house arrest.

People’s Conference president and Handwara MLA, Sajjad Lone, said he too was detained at home and barred from offering tributes.

“This recurring act reflects a deliberate attempt to suppress democratic expression and silence voices of remembrance and dissent,” he said.

Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari urged calm and peaceful remembrance after being prevented from holding a prayer meeting.

“Now that the authorities stopped us from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada in Naqshband Sahib, Srinagar, and locked our office to stop us from holding a prayer meeting there in memory of the martyrs of 1931, I urge my colleagues and party workers to hold prayer events in memory of the martyrs at their homes. I also appeal to the people to remain calm and peaceful, to pray for Esal-e-Sawab for these brave souls who live on in our hearts,” Bukhari said.

July 13 was earlier observed as a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir but was removed from the official calendar by the Lieutenant Governor’s administration following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Since then, political leaders have been barred from visiting the Martyrs’ graveyard.