Omar Abdullah Alleges Manhandling By Security During Martyrs’ Day Visit In Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir Cheif Minister Omar Abdullah visited the Naqshband Sahib cemetery in Srinagar to offer Fatiha and lay flowers on the graves of the 22 men killed on the same day in 1931.

These men had raised their voices against Maharaja Hari Singh’s rule.

In a post on X, Omar wrote, “Paid my respects & offered Fatiha at the graves of the martyrs of 13th July 1931. The unelected government tried to block my way forcing me to walk from Nawhatta chowk. They blocked the gate to Naqshband Sb shrine forcing me to scale a wall.”

Manhandling With Omar Abdullah

Omar Abdullah claimed that security personnel manhandled him while attempting to enter the graveyard. Sharing a video of the incident on X, he said, “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. In fact, these ‘protectors of the law’ need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us from offering Fatiha.” Omar reiterated that he faced forceful resistance despite not violating any laws.

Due to road closures around Khanyar and Nowhatta, Omar Abdullah walked nearly one kilometre to reach the cemetery. His father and National Conference president, Farooq Abdullah, arrived by auto-rickshaw.

On July 13, 1931, the Dogra army opened fire on protesters opposing Maharaja Hari Singh’s rule, killing 22 people. Since then, the day has been commemorated as Martyrs’ Day. However, in 2020, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s administration removed it from the list of official public holidays. This decision sparked criticism from the National Conference, which continues to honour the date annually.

On Saturday, Omar Abdullah accused the administration of blocking his and other leaders’ access to the memorial, stating that their right to pray and commemorate remained undeterred.

Must Read: Golden Temple In Punjab Receives Bomb Threat, SGPC Files Police Complaint