House Arrest of Political Leaders in Kashmir Sparks Outcry

Several political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, claimed they were placed under house arrest to prevent them from paying homage to the 'martyrs' graveyard.' The restriction led to accusations against the administration of suppressing Kashmiri resistance and memories of past sacrifices.

Several political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, on Saturday claimed authorities have put them under house arrest to prevent them from visiting the 'martyrs' graveyard' to pay homage to the 22 Kashmiri people killed by the army of a Dogra ruler on this day in 1931.

However, there was no official word on the claims made by the politicians.

Mehbooba, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, alleged that she was put under ''house arrest'' at her residence in Khimber in the outskirts of the city.

''The gates of my house have been locked up yet again to prevent me from visiting Mazar e Shuhada - an enduring symbol of Kashmir's resistance and resilience against authoritarianism, oppression and injustice,'' she said in a post on X.

The PDP chief said the ''sacrifices of our martyrs is a testament that the spirit of Kashmiri's cannot be crushed'' and added that ''today even observing it in remembrance of the protesters martyred on this day has been criminalised''. ''On 5th August, 2019 J&K was dismembered, disempowered and stripped of everything that was sacrosanct for us. They intend to erase each one of our collective memories,'' she said referring to the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of J-K into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

''But such assaults will only strengthen our determination to continue the fight for our rights and dignity,'' she added.

Separatist-turned-mainstream politicians and People's Conference chairman Sajad Lone also claimed that he has been put under house arrest.

''For no reason informed of being under house arrest. I really fail to understand what the administration gets in stopping people from going to the martyrs graveyard,'' Lone said on X.

He said people have a right to choose their heroes and ''the martyrs are heroes for the people of Kashmir''.

''Why be in a denial and why on earth would a non-resident government need to meddle in it. Actually believing that a government will decide on what has been historically heroic and who are the historical heroes is an unambiguous sign of despotism,'' Lone said.

The gate of the residence of National Conference (NC)'s provincial president, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, was also locked by police.

''The gate has been locked and police personnel deployed to stop us from going to pay our respects at martyrs' graves. I don't understand why. We will always remember their sacrifices,'' Wani said.

The party's youth wing president Salman Sagar said the administration was also putting restrictions on their political activities.

Sagar posted pictures and videos of the locked gates of his residence and claimed he was put under house arrest.

Earlier in the day, police stopped leaders of the Apni Party from visiting the ''martyrs' graveyard''.

Members of the Apni Party, led by their president Altaf Bukhari, tried to march from the party's Sheikh Bagh office here to the graveyard, around 5 km in Naqshband, but were stopped by police.

Later, the leaders held ''fateh'' prayers on the road and paid tributes to the 22 Kashmiris.

NC vice president Omar Abdullah said from next year, Jammu and Kashmir would mark July 13 to pay homage to the 22 Kashmiri people.

Reacting to the developments and referring to the impending assembly polls in J-K, he said this year is the last one the Jammu and Kashmir administration would be able to do so. ''Another 13th July, Martyr's Day, another round of locked gates and police excesses to stop people from paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives to establish a just, fair and democratic regime in J-K,'' Abdullah said in a post on X.

''Everywhere else in the country these people would have been celebrated but in J-K the administration wants to ignore these sacrifices. This is the last year they will be able to do this. InshaAllah, next year we will mark 13th July with the solemnity and respect this day deserves,'' he said.

The Supreme Court has asked the Union government to conclude the process of the conduct of the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30 this year. NC MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said stopping people from paying their respects was not only disrespect to the idea of democracy but also a huge and ''ugly shift'' from the values over which the nation was founded.

Mehdi said the police and administration which used to pay homage ''to those brave hearts is now told to block the ways heading towards that graveyard and put locks on the doors of those who want to go and pay their respect to those heroes''.

July 13 used to be a public holiday in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and a grand official function was held every year on this day where the chief minister or the governor would be the chief guest.

However, the administration dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays in 2020, after the abrogation of Article 370. Besides the official function, mainstream political leaders also used to visit the ''martyrs' graveyard'' to pay homage to the 22 Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the Dogra army while protesting the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh.

However, no function was held this year, and officials said some restrictions on the assembly of people were in place in the Naqshbandh area of Nowhatta here to thwart any gatherings and to maintain law and order.

(With inputs from agencies.)