While breaking through almost four barricades and jumping over the fencing wall, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah successfully reached the Mazar-e-Shuhda Naqashban Sahab (13-July martyrs’ graveyard) in downtown Srinagar and offered congregational prayers along with his father, party president Farooq Abdullah, and other party leaders.
After offering the congregational prayers, Omar Abdullah while talking to reporters, lashed out at the LG office for preventing the elected chief minister from visiting the 13-July martyrs’ graveyard. Omar said, “This is very sad that those who said their responsibility is only security and law and order, on their instructions we weren’t allowed to come here for congregational prayers yesterday.”
Breaking through almost four barricades and jumping over the fencing wall, J&K CM @OmarAbdullah successfully reached the 13-July martyrs’ graveyard in downtown Srinagar. He offered congregational prayers alongside his father, party president Farooq Abdullah & other party leaders. pic.twitter.com/HFhl0A0ydx
— asifsuhaf (@asifsuhaf) July 14, 2025
Omar further said, “When I told them yesterday I wanted to visit here, they immediately put a security vehicle in front of my home and didn’t allow me to open the gate. Today I didn’t inform them and went straight towards Nowhata, but see their attitude: the police along with CRPF tried to stop us at three locations; even the police tried to intimidate us.”
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 aren’t their slaves; we are slaves to our people.”
Omar Abdullah said that, they finally reached the graveyard and offered congregational prayers. “This is our place; these are our martyrs, and whenever we want, we shall come here—whether it’s 13-July, 12-July, or 14-July-nobody can stop us.”
In Kashmir’s regional politics, Martyrs’ Day holds profound historical significance, commemorating the sacrifice of 22 civilians who were killed during protests against the Dogra regime in 1931. Before the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the day was officially recognized with state ceremonies and a public holiday. However, since then, the LG-led administration has scrapped the holiday and restricted access to the graveyard for political leaders on this particular day.
Several political figures, including the top leadership of NC, PDP, and others, were placed under house arrest yesterday to prevent them from visiting the graveyard in downtown Srinagar.
