Omar defies restrictions, scales wall to pay tributes at Martyrs’ graveyard

In a surprise move, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday reached Srinagar’s old city to pay tributes to the 22 civilians killed by the Dogra army on July 13, 1931. Omar had to confront policemen, walk on foot, and even scale a wall to enter the premises of the Martyrs’ Graveyard.

The dramatic scenes unfolded a day after Omar Abdullah, along with several leaders of the National Conference (NC) and opposition parties, was allegedly placed under house arrest to prevent them from visiting the graveyard to mark Martyrs’ Day.

Sharing videos on his social media handles, Omar said he was “pushed, shoved, and grappled” by the “protectors of the law” during his visit. He was accompanied by his father, NC president Farooq Abdullah, Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary, and other party leaders.

“Paid my respects and offered Fatiha at the graves of the martyrs of July 13, 1931. The unelected government tried to block my way, forcing me to walk from Nawhatta Chowk. They blocked the gate to Naqshband Sahab shrine, forcing me to scale a wall,” Omar wrote on X.

“They tried to physically grapple me, but I was not going to be stopped today.”

In a video posted on X, Omar said, “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 Fatiha,” he added.

According to NC leaders, to reach the graveyard, Minister Sakina Itoo arrived on a scooter, while Farooq Abdullah had to use a three-wheeler.

The Srinagar district administration had on Saturday denied permission to political parties to visit the historic Martyrs’ Graveyard on Martyrs’ Day. Subsequently, Valley leaders were placed under house arrest.

After offering prayers, a visibly angry Omar Abdullah referred to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, claiming that it was on his instructions that NC leaders were barred from offering Fatiha on Sunday.

“I told the (police) control room that I wanted to come here to read Fatiha. Within minutes, a bunker was set up outside my gate and it was not removed until midnight,” Omar said, recounting Sunday evening’s events after returning from Delhi.

He added that on Monday, he did not inform the police of his intentions. “I sat in the car without informing them. And look at their shamelessness, even today they tried to stop us. They tried to heckle us,” he told reporters.

Omar questioned the legality of the police action. “These policemen who wear uniforms sometimes forget the law. I want to ask them under which law they tried to stop us today. If there was any restriction, it was supposed to be for yesterday,” he said.

“They say this is a free country, but they behave as if we are their slaves. We are not anyone’s slaves. If we are servants, we are servants of the people here,” he said.

The J&K Police and Raj Bhavan were yet to issue any statement on the incident.

July 13 is commemorated as Martyrs’ Day in Jammu and Kashmir in memory of the 22 people killed by the Dogra army outside Srinagar’s Central Jail in 1931. The L-G administration removed the day from the list of gazetted holidays in 2020.