Row in Valley as leaders allege house arrest on Martyrs' Day

Leaders from various parties tried to reach the graveyard but were stopped by police, says NC provisional chief

- Ashiq Hussain

As several political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday alleged that they have been placed under house arrest to prevent them from paying homage to the 21 people killed by the Dogra army on July 13, 1931, chief minister Omar Abdullah termed the move “blatantly undemocratic”.

Police and the district magistrate did not comment on the remarks.

Reacting on this, chief minister Omar Abdullah said, “To borrow from the late Arun Jaitley Sb - Democracy in J&K is a tyranny of the unelected. To put it in terms you will all understand today the unelected nominees of New Delhi locked up the elected representatives of the people of J&K. The unelected government locked up the elected government.”

Earlier, Omar had on X said, “In a blatantly undemocratic move homes have been locked from the outside, police & central forces deployed as 'jailers' & major bridges in Srinagar blocked. All to stop people from visiting a historically important grave yard containing the graves of people who laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice & to empower them. I will never understand what the law & order government is so afraid of.”