Leaders put under house arrest, Omar slams ‘blatant undemocratic move': ‘Martyrs' Day our Jallianwala Bagh'
July 13 is marked as Martyrs' Day as a homage to the 22 Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the Dogra army while protesting the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931. Formerly a public holiday in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, it was scrapped by the Lieutenant Governor-led administration after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
While the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called it a 'blatantly undemocratic move' saying July 13 is our Jallianwala Bagh, former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said that dilli ki doori will true end when 'you accept our heroes as your own, just as Kashmir embraced yours'.
'In a blatantly undemocratic move, homes have been locked from the outside, police & central forces deployed as jailers & major bridges in Srinagar blocked,' Omar posted on X. 'All to stop people from visiting a historically important grave yard 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.'
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…
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 13, 2025
The post went on to say: '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.'
Chief Minister Omar also posted from his official X handle saying the sacrifices of July 13 martyrs marked 'not just resistance but the rise of a collective conscience that continues to guide us to this day'.
'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 to this day. 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. We continue to honour their legacy not merely through words, but through the values we uphold and the justice we strive to deliver,' the post said.
Though political parties had resolved that they would visit the cemetery on Sunday to pay tributes to the those killed in 1931, the J&K Police said in a post on X Saturday that the district administration has denied permission for the visits.
Reacting to the detentions and deployment of police and paramilitary forces to prevent the commemorative functions, former chief minister Mufti said several of her party leaders who tried to visit the graveyard were detained and that 'it seems we are getting back into the oppressive times that our 13 July Martyrs fought against'
'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,' she said as she posted photos of her locked home. '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.'
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… pic.twitter.com/PjZpH7W8We
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) July 13, 2025
National Conference chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said that several of his party colleagues and legislators have been put under house detention since Saturday evening to prevent them from visiting the Martyrs' cemetery.
'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,' Sadiq said. 'This is not just unfortunate; it is a deliberate attempt to suppress remembrance and deny us the right to honour the martyrs of July 13. Such actions are not only unnecessary they are unjustified, deeply insensitive, and reveal a troubling disregard for history.'
Peoples Conference president and former minister Sajad Lone also had a similar post.
Not allowed to move out of home. Detained.
I don't know why the union government is so keen to redefine what is sacred for the people of Kashmir. The sacrifices rendered on July 13 are sacred for all of us.
Denigrating these sacrifices and stopping everyone from going to the…
— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) July 13, 2025
'Not allowed to move out of home. Detained,' Lone said. 'I don't know why the union government is so keen to redefine what is sacred for the people of Kashmir. The sacrifices rendered on July 13 are sacred for all of us. Denigrating these sacrifices and stopping everyone from going to the martyrs graveyard, if anything elevates these sacrifices to a new high. Histories that are etched in blood don't vanish.'
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
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