Kashmir Leaders Claim House Arrest On Martyrdom Day, Mehbooba Mufti Shares Picture Of Closed Gate – Kashmir Leaders Claims House Arrest On Martyrs Day Mehbooba Mufti Shares Picture of Closed Gate NTC
Jammu and Kashmir leaders Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday claimed that they were put under house arrest to prevent them from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada on Kashmir Martyrdom Day. People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti shared a picture of a lock on the gate of her residence on social media platform X.
He said, ‘The door of my house was once again locked to prevent me from going to Mazar-e-Shuhada.’ Mufti wrote in his tweet, ‘Today, celebrating this day in memory of the martyred protesters has also been declared a crime.’
Every year on July 13, leaders of mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir visit the Mazar-e-Shuhada in Srinagar to pay tribute to the 22 protesters who were shot dead by the then king’s army in 1931. Taking a dig at the Centre, the former chief minister said this was an attempt to “erase them from our memories”.
Mehbooba Mufti said, ‘On August 5, 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was dismembered, disempowered and stripped of everything that was sacred to us. Such attacks will only strengthen our determination to continue fighting for our rights and dignity.’
Omar Abdullah expressed displeasure
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah also expressed anger over the “police action” to prevent people from paying tributes to those who sacrificed their lives to establish “just, fair and democratic governance” in Jammu and Kashmir on Christmas Day.
Omar Abdullah said, ‘Another 13 July, Martyrdom Day, another round of closing doors… It would have been celebrated everywhere in the country, but in Jammu and Kashmir the administration wants to ignore these sacrifices. This is the last year they will be able to do so.’ He said, ‘Insha Allah next year we will celebrate it with seriousness and respect on 13 July.’
Why is Martyrdom Day celebrated?
On 13 July 1931, 22 protesters were killed in firing by the Dogra army outside the Central Jail in Srinagar. Both the mainstream political parties and separatist groups in the valley claim that the first battle for Kashmir’s independence from Dogra rule began on this day.