Political Leaders Detained in Jammu and Kashmir Ahead of Martyrs' Day Commemoration

Detentions and Restrictions on Martyrs' Day

On Sunday, political factions in Jammu and Kashmir, including the National Conference, accused authorities of detaining numerous leaders to obstruct their visit to the graveyard where 22 civilians were killed by the forces of Dogra ruler Hari Singh in 1931.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized the move as “blatantly undemocratic,” while the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party remarked that the confinement of leaders from commemorating Martyrs’ Day indicates a return to oppressive conditions in Kashmir.

July 13 is observed as Martyrs’ Day to honor these civilians, but it was removed as a public holiday following the abrogation of Article 370 by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government in August 2019, which had previously granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Regional parties in the Union Territory have been advocating for the revival of official ceremonies to honor July 13 as Martyrs’ Day. They had submitted requests to the deputy commissioner for permission, which were reportedly denied.

On Saturday, police issued warnings that action would be taken against anyone attempting to visit the Naqsband Sahib shrine in Srinagar, where the martyrs are interred. Security forces also set up barricades around the shrine and the access roads.

Additionally, it was reported that several leaders' homes were locked from the outside to restrict their movement.

National Conference MLA Salman Sagar claimed that party members were detained at their headquarters and prevented from proceeding to the shrine.

“The police treated us poorly and pushed us around,” Sagar stated. “We are nationalists who have been honoring the martyrs at the graveyard for many years.”

The party also mentioned that other members, including Showkat Mir, Imran Nabi Dar, Shafqat Watali, Nasir Aslam Wani, and Tanvir Sadiq, faced similar detentions or house arrests.

Abdullah expressed his disbelief at the government's fear of allowing people to visit a historically significant graveyard that honors those who sacrificed their lives for the rights of Kashmiris.

In a blatantly undemocratic move homes have been locked from the outside, police & central forces deployed as jailers & major bridges in Srinagar blocked. All to stop people from visiting a historically important grave yard containing the graves of people who laid down their… https://t.co/yTC2V53VAy

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 13, 2025

Abdullah characterized the July 13 uprising as “our Jallianwala Bagh,” referencing the infamous massacre in 1919 where British troops fired on a crowd in Punjab.

He remarked that the individuals who sacrificed their lives did so against British rule, lamenting that true heroes are now misrepresented as villains due to their Muslim identity.

Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti shared an image of her home’s locked gates and stated that acceptance of Kashmir's heroes by the broader Indian society would bridge the emotional divide.

Mufti emphasized that the siege of the Martyrs’ Graveyard and the locking of homes to prevent visits speaks volumes about the current situation.

The day you accept our heroes as your own just as Kashmiris have embraced yours, from Mahatma Gandhi to Bhagat Singh that day, as Prime Minister Modi once said, the “dil ki doori” (distance of hearts) will truly end.

When you lay siege to the Martyrs’ Graveyard, lock people in… pic.twitter.com/PjZpH7W8We

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) July 13, 2025

Party member Naeem Akhtar reported being placed under house arrest and denied the opportunity to pay respects to the martyrs.

“Until 2019, this was a government-sanctioned ceremony, but now it is prohibited,” he noted.

Altaf Bukhari, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, claimed that he was barred from visiting the graveyard and that his office was locked to prevent a prayer meeting for the martyrs.

Now that the authorities stopped us from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada in Naqshband Sahib, Srinagar, and locked our office to stop us from holding a prayer meeting there in memory of the martyrs of 1931, I urge my colleagues and party workers to hold prayer events in memory of the… pic.twitter.com/U9DHGyNOGm

— Altaf Bukhari (@SMAltafBukhari) July 13, 2025

Sajad Lone, head of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference, also reported being detained at home.

“I don’t understand why the Union government is so intent on redefining what is sacred to the people of Kashmir,” he stated.

Not allowed to move out of home. Detained.
I don’t know why the union government is so keen to redefine what is sacred for the people of Kashmir. The sacrifices rendered on July 13 are sacred for all of us.
Denigrating these sacrifices and stopping everyone from going to the…

— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) July 13, 2025

On Friday, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief cleric, claimed he was detained at home and prevented from offering prayers at the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.

He alleged that the authorities acted out of fear that he would mention Kashmir Martyrs’ Day during his sermon.