Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on July 14 jumped over the boundary wall of the martyrs’ graveyard in Srinagar to recite prayers after he was allegedly stopped by the security forces. Abdullah said that he did not inform anyone before coming to the graveyard as he was house arrested yesterday, on July 13, ‘Martyrs’ Day.’
“We came here and recited the Fatiha. They forget that these graves will always remain here. They stopped us on July 13, but for how long can they continue to do so? We will come here whenever we want and remember the martyrs,” Abdullah said.
Prominent valley-based leaders from ruling and opposition parties were not allowed on Sunday to leave their houses to prevent them from visiting the graveyard of 1931 martyrs in Srinagar.
The detentions, which were not officially confirmed by police, were widely reported by leaders who posted videos and pictures showing their gates locked by security personnel to stop them from going to the Naqshband Sahib graveyard near Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar to pay tributes to the ‘martyrs.’
Our Jallianwala Bagh: Omar
“13th July massacre is our Jallianwala Bagh. The people who laid down their lives did so against the British. Kashmir was being ruled under the British Paramountcy. What a shame that true heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims. We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today but we will not forget their sacrifices,” Abdullah said in a post on Sunday.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Sharma dubbed the slain protesters as ‘traitors’ and said the ruling party was trying to indulge in ‘provocative politics’ and revive a separatist sentiment which was long buried following abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
“We consider them as traitors as I have made it clear on the floor of the assembly,” the BJP leader said.
In the past few days, July 13, ‘Martyrs’ Day,’ has led to a political row in Jammu and Kashmir. What is the controversy about?
What is July 13 Martyrs Day row?
The row goes back to the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 of Jammu and Kashmir by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government. Prior to scrapping the erstwhile state’s special status, July 13 used to be an official holiday in Jammu and Kashmir.
The day was marked to commemorate the sacrifice of 22 people who led an uprising against the ‘autocratic’ rule of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931, which eventually forced the Maharaja to hold the first assembly elections in the history of Jammu and Kashmir.
It was one rare occasion on which both mainstream politicians and separatists would were on the same page. While the government would officially commemorate the day, declaring it a holiday, the separatists would call a shutdown on the day to protest against their killing
On the day, mainstream political leaders used to visit the “Martyrs’ graveyard” in Naqshband Sahab area of Srinagar to pay homage to the Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the forces during the protest.
While the holiday was scrapped in 2019,the LG administration declared Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary on September 23 a public holiday in 2022.
New J-K Government in 2024
Jammu and Kashmir got its first elected government post-abrogation of Article 370 in 2024. Since coming to power, the ruling National Conference has been vowing to restore the official holiday on July 13.
In fact, Valley’s main political parties resolved to visit the ‘Martyrs’ Cemetery’ July 13 to pay their tributes. The BJP opposed any official commemoration.
Srinagar Police issued a public advisory and posted on its handle on X on Saturday that the “District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on 13th July 2025 (Sunday).”
The district magistrate also rejected the ruling National Conference’s plea seeking permission for NC president Farooq Abdullah and other senior functionaries to visit the graveyard.
On July 13, Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir Police put several leaders across the political divide under house detention to prevent them from visiting the cemetery.
What is the history of July 13?
In 1931, a series of incidents had led to discontent against the Dogra rulers of Kashmir. In June 1931, one Abdul Qadeer Khan, gave a fiery speech against the Dogras and asked the people to rise against them.
Khan was a cook for a British Army officer who was on vacation in Kashmir, according to many accounts. Khan was charged by the Dogra regime for sedition. And in July 1931, as the trial began, a large gathering of Kashmiri Muslims assembled outside the court of the Sessions’ judge in Srinagar. Eventually, the trial was shifted to Srinagar Central Jail.
On July 13, about 4,000 to 5,000 people assembled outside the jail to witness the trial. The crowd wanted to enter the premises, but we were stopped. And it was during this protest that the Dogra police opened fire, killing 22 Kashmiri Muslims and injuring many others.
Conflicting Versions
There are conflicting versions on what led to the firing. While some say that the protestors tried to break the jail gates and pelted stones, others say the protestors were just shouting slogans outside the jail when the then Srinagar deputy commissioner arrived at the scene.
We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today but we will not forget their sacrifices.
A version also says that a local Muslim stood up to call for the noon prayers (Azaan). He was fired at by the police. The police then opened fire on the protestors, killing 22.
The slain protestors were buried in the premises of the shrine of a Muslim saint, Khawja Bahaudin Naqashbandi, in old Srinagar city. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, then a top leader of the Muslim Conference, later went to head the National Conference and announced that July 13 would “henceforth be observed as Martyrs’ day”. Sheikh Abdullah is Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s grandfather.