On 14 July 2025, opposition parties lashed out at the BJP-led Centre following the house detention of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and several of his party colleagues. The detentions were aimed at preventing their visit to the Naqshband Sahib graveyard in Srinagar to pay homage on Martyrs’ Day, observed annually on 13 July to commemorate those killed during protests against Dogra rule in 1931.
Until Article 370 was revoked in 2019, 13 July was an official public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir. The day marked the killing of 22 Muslims who had gathered outside Srinagar Central Jail, where a British cook, Abdul Qadeer Khan accused of sedition for inciting rebellion against Dogra rule was on trial. As the crowd swelled to several thousand, a confrontation ensued. Dogra police opened fire, resulting in multiple deaths.
Despite the restrictions, Omar Abdullah climbed over the graveyard gates in Srinagar to pay respects to the 22 people who were killed by Dogra forces on 13 July 1931.
In this backdrop, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the move, stating it was a denial of fundamental rights. “What is wrong in visiting the graveyard of martyrs? This is not only unfortunate, it also snatches the democratic right of a citizen. What happened this morning to an elected Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah is unacceptable. Shocking. Shameful.”
What is wrong in visiting the graveyard of martyrs? This is not only unfortunate, it also snatches the democratic right of a citizen. What happened this morning to an elected Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah is unacceptable. Shocking. Shameful.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 14, 2025
Similarly, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also voiced his disapproval, highlighting the irony of placing an elected leader under house arrest merely for attempting to honor historical figures. “At a time when there is a growing demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, the current events unfolding there are a grim reminder of how far things have deteriorated. The elected CM Hon’ble @OmarAbdullah is being placed under house arrest simply for wanting to pay homage to the 1931 martyrs and is forced to climb walls to do so. Is this how an elected Chief Minister should be treated?” Stalin asked in his post on X.
He further accused the central government of systematically eroding the authority of state governments. “This is not just about one state or one leader. From Tamil Nadu to Kashmir, the Union BJP Government is systematically stripping away the rights of elected State Governments. If this can happen in Kashmir, it can happen anywhere, to any elected representative of the people. Every democratic voice must unequivocally condemn this,” he wrote, calling for a unified condemnation from all democratic voices.
At a time when there is a growing demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, the current events unfolding there are a grim reminder of how far things have deteriorated.
The elected CM Hon'ble @OmarAbdullah is being placed under house arrest simply for wanting… https://t.co/0xUun7kcff
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) July 14, 2025
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