Amid tensions with Raj Bhawan, Abdullah scales walls at graveyard to offer tributes to 1931 martyrs

Srinagar: The confrontation between the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir and the Lieutenant Governor-led administration over the observance of Martyrs’ Day intensified on Monday, as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah scaled a wall to reach the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar amid an alleged house arrest and heavy police presence.

The dramatic scenes unfolded near Khawaja Bazaar in the old city, where the historic graveyard is located beside the mausoleum of a revered Naqshbandi Sufi saint. The incident, captured on video and shared by Abdullah on X (formerly Twitter), showed him being physically blocked and pushed by police officers.

“This is the physical grappling I was subjected to but I am made of sterner stuff and 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," he said.

The tense standoff comes a day after top political leaders from both mainstream and separatist camps were barred from visiting the graveyard on Martyrs’ Day, which was once observed as an official state holiday before it was struck off the government calendar following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

July 13 marks the killing of 21 unarmed Kashmiri protesters outside the Central Jail in Srinagar in 1931, who had gathered in support of Abdul Qadeer Khan, an activist accused of inciting rebellion against the autocratic Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh.

The Dogra forces opened fire on the crowd, triggering a political awakening in the region. The day has since been observed to honour the struggle against oppression and for democratic rights.

On Sunday, authorities imposed a partial lockdown in parts of downtown Srinagar, with the police and paramilitary CRPF sealing key access points to prevent public gatherings.

Traditionally, July 13 has seen political and religious leaders visit the Martyrs’ Graveyard to pay respects. The suppression of the day’s observance for a second consecutive year has drawn sharp criticism from parties like the National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference (JKNC) chief Farooq Abdullah and others pay tribute to July 13 martyrs at Naqshband Sahib graveyard in Old City of Srinagar

The NC also appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to reinstate July 13 and December 5 (birth anniversary of Sheikh Abdullah) as public holidays—both dates were removed from the official holiday calendar in January 2020.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, however, criticised NC’s outreach, saying it lacked credibility. “Omar Abdullah-led govt’s proposal to the L-G would have carried weight had the Speaker supported PDP’s resolution on the matter in the assembly,” she said, referring to the rejection of a similar proposal in March.

As the political temperature rises in the valley, the latest showdown underscores the growing rift between elected representatives and the unelected bureaucracy running Jammu and Kashmir under L-G Manoj Sinha’s administration.