Leaders condemn house arrests on Martyrs’ Day in Kashmir

Calling it a “blatantly undemocratic” move, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday criticized the authorities for confining several mainstream political leaders including those from the ruling National Conference (NC) to their homes in order to prevent them from visiting the historic Martyrs’ Graveyard in downtown Srinagar. The graveyard is the resting place of those killed on 13 July 1931.

Among those reportedly placed under house arrest were former CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone, former minister Naeem Akhtar, NC leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq, Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. These leaders had planned to pay tribute to the 22 Kashmiris who were killed by state forces during a protest against Maharaja Hari Singh’s rule in 1931.

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In a series of posts on X, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote: “In a blatantly undemocratic move, homes have been locked from the outside, police and central forces deployed as jailers, and major bridges in Srinagar blocked. All to stop people from visiting a historically important graveyard where people who laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice and empower them are buried. I will never understand what this ‘law and order’ government is so afraid of.”

He went on to draw a parallel between the 13 July killings and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre: “The 13th July massacre is our Jallianwala Bagh. Those who laid down their lives did so against British tyranny. Kashmir was under British paramountcy. It’s shameful that these true heroes, who fought colonial oppression, are today projected as villains merely because they were Muslims. We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today, but we will never forget their sacrifice.”

An official post on the Chief Minister’s X handle added: “On 13th July, the Chief Minister solemnly remembers the martyrs of 1931—brave souls who stood unshaken in the face of tyranny and laid down their lives for justice, dignity, and democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. Their sacrifice marked not just resistance but the rise of a collective conscience that continues to guide us today. Their memory cannot be erased. Their truth cannot be silenced. This day stands as a timeless reminder that courage endures and that freedom, once awakened, cannot be undone.”

The Srinagar Police had announced on X on Saturday evening: “The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on 13 July (Sunday). The general public is hereby advised to strictly comply with these instructions and refrain from violating the orders issued by the District Administration. Any violation of these orders shall invite strict legal action under relevant provisions of law.”

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the restrictions, writing on X: “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 and lock people in their homes to prevent them from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada, it speaks volumes. July 13 commemorates our martyrs who rose against tyranny, much like countless others across the country. They will always be our heroes.”

Other leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq, Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone, and Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari also criticized the government’s actions, calling them repressive and unjustified.