Omar dodges J&K cops, scales fence to pay tributes at martyrs' graveyard in Srinagar
'Paid my respects at the graves of the martyrs of July 13, 1931. The unelected government tried to block my way, forcing me to walk from Nowhatta Chowk. They blocked the gate to the Naqshband Sahib shrine, forcing me to scale a wall. They tried to physically grapple me but I was not going to be stopped today,' Omar posted on X.
Besides Omar and his cabinet ministers, NC president Farooq Abdullah also offered prayers at the cemetery.
Omar criticised lieutenant governor Manoj Singh and the police for trying to stop him and his entourage from entering the martyrs' graveyard. 'It is sad that on the instructions of the people who claim that their responsibility is the security and law and order, we were not allowed to offer 'fateha (prayers)' here. We were kept in house arrest (on Sunday). When gates opened, I expressed to the control room my desire to offer 'fateha'. Within minutes, bunkers were put up and they were not removed late into the night,' Abdullah told reporters after paying tributes at the graveyard.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah and others being stopped by police personnel as they arrive to pay tribute to July 13 martyrs at Naqshband Sahib graveyard in the Old City of Srinagar on Monday. (PTI Photo)
'Barriers were raised, but so was our resolve. Today, we stood firm at the Mazar-e-Shohada, offering fateha (prayers), laying flowers, and honouring the valour of 1931,' he said, adding 'Today I didn't inform them (the police) still a bunker was placed and attempts were made to stop us. We aren't slaves of anybody but slave of our own people.'
Videos of the chief minister and his party colleagues scaling the wall of the cemetery were shared widely on social media. Even health and education minister Sakina Ittoo reached the graveyard on a scooty without any official protocol.
Omar said: 'I was subjected to grappling but I am made of sterner stuff and was not to be stopped. I was doing nothing unlawful or illegal. In fact, these protectors of the law need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us from offering fateha,' he said.
NC reviving 'politics of graves': BJP
The BJP, however, blamed chief minister Omar Abdullah and the NC of reviving the 'politics of graves' to stoke unrest to stay politically relevant. 'Omar Abdullah is shamelessly indulging in the politics of graves just to remain politically relevant. By glorifying the events of 1931, he is whitewashing a day soaked in the blood of innocent Kashmiri Pandits. This is not a tribute, it's a calculated provocation,' J&K BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur said.
He said the BJP firmly rejects the designation of July 13 as Martyrs' Day. 'This was not a day of martyrdom, but a day when the seeds of communal hatred were sown in Kashmir. It marked the beginning of a violent, exclusionary narrative that targeted minorities,' he said and accused Omar Abdullah of double standards. 'On one hand, he rolls out the red carpet for tourists to sell peace. On the other hand, he indulges in separatist appeasement and communal glorification. You can't have it both ways,' he said.
July 13 was observed as Martyrs' Day by mainstream politicians and separatists in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in memory of the 21 Kashmiris who were killed by the army of Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh during an uprising in 1931 when the region was a princely state. Several leaders had earlier criticised Omar Abdullah for deliberately remaining away from Kashmir on July 13. This time, Omar, who was in Delhi, reached Srinagar on Sunday afternoon.
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