Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, breaking through four barricades and jumping over the fencing wall, on Monday visited the Mazaar-e-Shuhada (Martyrs Graveyard) in Srinagars Naqshband Sahib shrine.
He also shared a video stating that he was physically grappled by the police personnel as he visited the memorial.
The J&K Chief Minister shared a video on the social media platform X and stated that he was doing “nothing unlawful or illegal.”
“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,” he posted.
“In fact these protectors of the law need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us from offering Fatiha,” he added.
He was visiting the memorial to pay tribute to the protesters shot dead by Maharaja Hari Singhs Dogra forces on July 13, 1931, when he jumped over the fencing wall.
Omar Abdullah At Martyrs Graveyard
On Monday, without informing security and administration, J&K CM, accompanied by senior Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leaders, including President Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, reached the graveyard.
Omar Abdullah also claimed that he was stopped midway at Nawhata chowk by police and CRPF, and police bunker was placed on road but they forcibly proceeded towards graveyard where he said gates of shrine were locked but he scaled over grilled wall of shrine with his other leaders and offered Fatiha and paid tributes to 1931 martyrs.
In his statement to the media at the graveyard, Abdullah detailed the obstacles he faced, and said, We were not allowed to come here and read the Fatiha yesterday. Everyone was kept in their homes early in the morning. I contacted the control room and expressed my intention to visit and offer Fatiha, and within minutes, a bunker was placed in front of my gate, which remained there till midnight.
Speaking to reporters, Omar said, Its very unfortunate that the people who claim that they only have to maintain law and order on their instructions, we were not allowed to offer ‘Fatiha’ here at the martyr’s graveyard. Everybody was kept inside their houses when I contacted the control room and said I wanted to go there in minutes. A bunker was placed in front of my gate, and till 12 am gate didnt open. And they have a misunderstanding that these Martys graves are here only on 13th July, let it be not 13th, let it be 12th, 14th, December, January, those Martys are here whenever we want, we will come here and offer respect to our martyrs.”
Abdullah condemned the administrations actions as an affront to democracy, noting, The unelected government tried to block my way, forcing me to walk from Nowhatta chowk. They blocked the gate to Naqshband Sahib shrine, forcing me to scale a wall.”
Today I didnt inform them, but see how shameless they are. They wanted to stop us at Nawhatta Chowk and placed CRPF and police bunker, and even tried to stop us forcibly. Those police men sometimes forget what the law is. I want to know under which law they wanted to stop us. They even tried to physically grapple with me. They tore our flag, but they cant stop us. We reached here and offered Fatiha, Abdullah added.
Without naming anyone, Omar Abdullah said, They claim this is a free country, but sometimes they think we are their slaves. We want to tell them we arent their slaves; we are slaves to our people.
He described the restrictions as a deliberate attempt to suppress Kashmiri history and claimed that it is a clear attempt to erase the history and silence their voices. “As Chief Minister, if I have to climb walls to honor our martyrs, what does it say about the state of democracy for the common people? he said.
Omar Abdullah On Martyrs Day
Yesterday Omar drew historical parallels, likening the 1931 massacre to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and criticised the portrayal of the martyrs, stating, The people who laid down their lives did so against British rule under the Dogra regime. Its a shame that true heroes who fought for our rights are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims.
The Srinagar district administration had issued a public advisory on July 12, 2025, denying permission for visits to the graveyard, citing law and order concerns.
Martyrs Day
In 2019, July 13 was removed as a public holiday after the abrogation of Article 370, a move that has fueled tensions over commemorating the 1931 martyrs, who protested the autocratic rule of Dogra Maharaja Hari Singh.
Abdullahs actions and statements underscored his commitment to restoring the historical significance of Martyrs Day, with his government formally requesting the Lieutenant Governor to reinstate July 13 as a public holiday.