West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday strongly condemned the police action in Srinagar that prevented Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from visiting the Mazar-e-Shuhada on Martyrs’ Day. Calling the incident “unacceptable”, “shocking”, and “shameful”, Banerjee expressed outrage over what she described as a denial of basic democratic rights.
In a post on X, Mamata Banerjee wrote, “What is wrong in visiting the graveyard of martyrs? This is not only unfortunate, it also snatches the democratic right of a citizen. What happened this morning to an elected Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah is unacceptable. Shocking. Shameful.”
The controversy erupted on Sunday when Jammu and Kashmir Police sealed off the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar and placed top political leaders, including Omar Abdullah, under effective house arrest. Political leaders were reportedly barred from visiting the site to commemorate the July 13, 1931, killings, when 22 protestors were shot dead by Maharaja Hari Singh’s Dogra forces outside Srinagar Jail.
Omar Abdullah, who had been in West Bengal days earlier to attend the Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) in Kolkata and a conference in Howrah alongside Banerjee, returned to Kashmir in time for the observance. However, he alleged that police blocked his access to the shrine and the adjoining graveyard, forcing him to scale a wall to offer prayers.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and several National Conference colleagues on Monday dodged police checkpoints, sprinted on foot, and scaled the graveyard wall to pay their tributes. The Mazar-e-Shuhada, where the martyrs of 1931 are buried, is adjacent to the revered Naqshband Sahib shrine in Srinagar’s Old City. Photos shared by Abdullah showed armoured vehicles stationed outside his residence and police personnel blocking roads, underscoring the intensity of the security measures imposed on the day.
“This is the physical grappling I was subjected to but I am made of sterner stuff & 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 Fatiha,” posted Omar Abdullah on “X”, along with a video of the police tacking him.
In a detailed post on X, Abdullah stated, “Paid my respects & offered Fatiha at the graves of the martyrs of 13th July 1931. The unelected government tried to block my way, forcing me to walk from Nawhatta Chowk. They blocked the gate to Naqshband Sahib shrine, forcing me to scale a wall. They tried to physically grapple me but I was not going to be stopped today.”
He also criticised the absence of coverage in several local newspapers. “Take a look at our local newspapers—both from Jammu and Srinagar, English and vernacular. You'll be able to distinguish the cowards from the ones with guts. The cowards have completely buried the fact that the entire elected government was locked up yesterday… Shame on the sellouts who buried the story. I hope the size of the envelope was worth it,” he wrote.
Martyrs’ Day, observed every 13 July, holds significant political and historical value in Kashmir. It commemorates the deaths of 22 Kashmiris who were killed while protesting the autocratic Dogra rule in 1931. The day marked the beginning of political consciousness in the region and eventually led to the formation of Jammu and Kashmir’s first legislative assembly.
Until recent years, the day was officially observed with floral tributes, police salutes, and political speeches. However, since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, the day has been removed from the list of public holidays. Conversely, the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh has been declared an official holiday.
Expressing solidarity with Abdullah, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq posted, “Power teaches little, powerlessness teaches more! Today the CM sahib @omarabdullah tasted the bitter medicine of authoritarian high-handedness… Hoping this experience shifts his focus to what is the first priority of every people—upholding of their dignity and fundamental rights.”
Peoples Democratic Party vice-president Aditya Gupta also condemned the treatment meted out to the National Conference leadership, calling it a “brutal assault on the very idea of democracy in J&K”. “When @OmarAbdullah, the elected CM, is manhandled by police, it’s not just an insult to one individual, it’s a brutal assault on the very idea of democracy in J&K… If this isn’t your red line, Omar Sahib, what is?” Gupta asked.
