Srinagar, July 14: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday strongly criticised the restrictions imposed on National Conference (NC) leaders from visiting the Martyrs’ Graveyard (Mazar-e-Shuhada) at Naqshband Sahib, Srinagar, to observe July 13 Martyrs’ Day, calling the move an “injustice to history.”According to the National Conference, several senior leaders were placed under house detention, while others were stopped by security forces on their way to the Martyrs’ Graveyard, where the party had planned to offer Fatiha and floral tributes to the 22 people killed on July 13, 1931.With access to the graveyard blocked, the NC held a commemorative programme at its headquarters, Nawa-e-Subha, beginning with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an and Fatiha. The event was attended by NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, senior ministers, legislators and party workers.Addressing the gathering, Omar Abdullah said preventing people from paying tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for democratic rights during the Dogra rule was against democratic values. He asserted that the 1931 martyrs deserved the same respect as freedom fighters elsewhere in the country.Calling the legacy of the July 13 martyrs a historical and moral responsibility, Omar said the National Conference would continue to uphold their vision of “Naya Kashmir.” He also criticised attempts to judge history through the prism of religion, saying sacrifices made for justice and democracy should never be viewed on the basis of faith.“The martyrs of July 13 were martyrs then, remain martyrs today and will always be remembered as such,” Omar Abdullah said, adding that no restrictions could erase their place in history.The Chief Minister also questioned the Centre’s repeated claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, saying restrictions on political leaders and the public painted a different picture. Referring to traffic curbs during the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, he said the unprecedented restrictions had caused inconvenience to commuters despite the pilgrimage being conducted peacefully for decades.Earlier in the day, Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo and NC Women’s Wing President Er Sabiya Qadri were allegedly stopped by police near Khanyar Police Station while attempting to visit the Martyrs’ Graveyard.The National Conference has traditionally observed July 13 Martyrs’ Day by paying homage at Mazar-e-Shuhada. However, since the 2019 reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, July 13 is no longer an official public holiday, and access to the graveyard has frequently remained restricted on the anniversary.
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