Latest news with #Law&Ordergovernment
United News of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Unelected nominees of New Delhi locked up elected representatives of people of J&K: Omar
Srinagar, July 13 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today alleged that he and the elected representatives have been "locked up" and termed it as the 'tyranny of the unelected' in Jammu and Kashmir. Omar, who was in Delhi, returned to Srinagar this evening and shared several pictures on X of a large deployment of police outside his Gupkar home. An armoured vehicle was also seen parked at the gate of his residence. 'To borrow from the late Arun Jaitley Sb - Democracy in J&K is a tyranny of the unelected. To put it in terms, you will all understand today the unelected nominees of New Delhi locked up the elected representatives of the people of J&K,' Omar said on X. 'The unelected government locked up the elected government,' he said in another post. Sources said Omar was originally scheduled to arrive in Srinagar tomorrow, but following outrage over his absence on Martyrs' Day, he returned to the city this evening instead. Earlier in the day, several ministers, MLAs and top leaders of the ruling party and the Opposition were put under house arrest or detained by the J&K Lt Governor administration to prevent them from visiting the Martyrs' graveyard in old city to pay tributes to the 22 people, who were 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-Shohda- 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. J&K Chief Minister this morning 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 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,' Sadiq said. Omar further said that those who laid down their lives in 1931 were being wrongly vilified. '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 added. 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, Sajad 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. Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that while leaders may be jailed, placed under house arrest, or threatened, and graveyards of martyrs may be sealed, 'they live in our hearts and in our memory and will continue to, generation after generation.' 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. UNI MJR SSP
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Martyrs Day: J&K CM Omar Abdullah says curbs, house arrest of politicians 'blatantly undemocratic move'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday alleged that several homes were "locked" from the outside, central forces were deployed as "jailers," and bridges in Srinagar were blocked to "stop" people from visiting a "historically important" graveyard. Ahead of July 13 Martyrs Day, several Jammu and Kashmir politicians were allegedly placed under house arrest(ANI) In a post on X, the JK CM said the graveyard contains the graves of those who "laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice" and criticised the administration's actions as "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 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," Abdullah wrote. In another post, Abdullah compared the July 13 incident to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and said the sacrifices of those who stood up to British rule should not be forgotten. "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. The JK Chief Minister's earlier tweet claiming that people were being "stopped" from entering the martyrs' graveyard was in response to a post by Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) chief spokesperson and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq, who also alleged that several party leaders were confined to their homes to prevent them from "honouring' the martyrs of July 13. "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 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," Sadiq posted on X.
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Martyrs day: Kashmir leaders say they are under house arrest, Omar calls it ‘undemocratic move'
There was no official confirmation to the house arrest claims made by the leaders. Srinagar, Jul 13 (PTI) Prominent political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday claimed they have been placed under house arrest to prevent them from paying homage to the 22 persons killed by the Dogra army on this day in 1931, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah terming the move as 'blatantly undemocratic'. '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,' the chief minister said on X. In 1919, hundreds of people protesting peacefully against the Rowlatt Acts, which granted the colonial administration repressive powers, were gunned down by British forces without any provocation at the Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar. Abdullah said, 'We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today but we will not forget their sacrifices'. In an earlier post, Abdullah criticised the house detention of the leaders as a 'blatantly undemocratic move'. '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 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,' he said. Opposition PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the mistrust between Delhi and Kashmiris will truly end only when India accepted Kashmiri 'martyrs' as their own. '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 in a post on X. The former chief minister posted pictures of a locked gate to her residence. '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. The former chief minister claimed several leaders of her party who managed to sneak out of their homes have been detained at various police stations. 'Continuing with its regressive policies many of our party leaders like Khurshid Allam, Zohaib Mir, Hamid Kohsheen, Arif Liagroo, Sara Nayeema, Tabassum, Basharat Naseem and others who managed to sneak out of their homes have been detained in police stations. They were on their way to Mazar e shuda. It seems we are getting back into the oppressive times that our 13 July Martyrs fought against,' she claimed. Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone also claimed that he has been stopped from leaving his residence. '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 sacrifices rendered on July 13 are sacred for all of us,' he said. Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who has been under house arrest since Friday, said Kashmir bears witness to the painful saga of the sacrifices made by its sons and daughters. 'The Martyrs of July 13, 1931 led this quest by standing up to the tyranny of the rulers of the day, laying down their lives. Today, Kashmir remembers and honours them. We may be put in jails or under house arrests and threatened with dire consequences, and the martyrs' graveyards may be sealed and blocked, but they live in our hearts and in our memory and will continue to, generation after generation,' he posted on X. The leaders claimed they were placed under house arrest to prevent them from visiting the Naqshband Sahib Martyrs graveyard near Nowhatta in the old city. The Srinagar district magistrate on Saturday rejected the ruling National Conference's plea seeking permission to pay homage to the 22 people. The party, in an application sent to the district magistrate, stated that NC president Farooq Abdullah and other senior functionaries intend to visit the graveyard of 'martyrs' at Naqshband Sahib near Nowhatta on Sunday. 'The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on 13th July 2025 (Sunday),' Srinagar Police said in a public advisory posted on its handle on X on Saturday. July 13 used to be a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir before the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union territories in August 2019. However, the administration dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays in 2020. On the day, mainstream political leaders used to visit the 'martyrs' graveyard' to pay homage to the Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the Dogra army while protesting against the rule of the Maharaja. PTI MIJ DV DV This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Blatantly undemocratic move": JK CM Omar Abdullah slams curbs on visit to martyrs' graveyard
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 13 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday alleged that several homes were 'locked' from the outside, central forces were deployed as 'jailers,' and bridges in Srinagar were blocked to 'stop' people from visiting a 'historically important' graveyard. In a post on X, the JK CM said the graveyard contains the graves of those who 'laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice' and criticised the administration's actions as 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 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,' Abdullah wrote. In another post, Abdullah compared the July 13 incident to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and said the sacrifices of those who stood up to British rule should not be forgotten. '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. The JK Chief Minister's earlier tweet claiming that people were being 'stopped' from entering the martyrs' graveyard was in response to a post by Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) chief spokesperson and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq, who also alleged that several party leaders were confined to their homes to prevent them from honouring the martyrs of July 13. '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 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,' Sadiq posted on X. (ANI)
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Leaders put under house arrest, Omar slams ‘blatant undemocratic move': ‘Martyrs' Day our Jallianwala Bagh'
Jammu and Kashmir Police have put under house detention several political leaders and legislators across the political divide to prevent them from visiting the Martyrs' cemetery in Srinagar on Martyrs' Day. 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… — 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
