'Shocking, Shameful': Mamata, Stalin, Akhilesh Slam BJP Over Omar's House 'Detention' On Martyrs' Day In Kashmir

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Chief ministers of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Monday slammed the house arrest of their Jammu and Kashmir counterpart Omar Abdullah and his ministers over their plans to visit the graveyard of those killed by Dogra forces in 1931.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it amounted to snatching the democratic rights of a citizen. "What is wrong in visiting the graveyard of martyrs? This is not only unfortunate, it also snatches the democratic right of a citizen," Banerjee posted on X.

Also Read | Watch Video: Omar Abdullah scales graveyard wall amid Martyrs' Day row

"What happened to an elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is unacceptable. Shocking. Shameful," she added.

Abdullah and several leaders of the National Conference and opposition parties were put under house arrest on Sunday to prevent them from going to the Naqshband Sahib graveyard in Srinagar to mark Martyrs' Day.

A defiant Abdullah, however, on Monday scaled the gates of the graveyard in old Srinagar city to pay tributes to the 22 people killed by the Dogra army on July 13, 1931.

Systematically stripping away the rights: Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin , in a post on X, said that 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 Omar Abdullah 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?" he asked.

Also Read | Explained: What is July 13 'Martyrs' Day'? Why did it spark a row in Kashmir?

Stalin hit out at the BJP-ruled Centre, saying it was stripping away the rights of elected 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 added.

'Tum kis sarhad ko...'

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav used poetry to remind the BJP about the possibility of it having to sit in the opposition in future.

"If you keep imposing restrictions on every matter like this, then when the regime changes, tell me yourself, which border will you cross to escape?" the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said in a post on Hindi on X.

July 13 Martyrs Day in Kashmir

July 13 is commemorated as 'Martyrs Day' in Jammu and Kashmir in tribute to 22 people killed by the Dogra army outside Srinagar's central jail in 1931.

The L-G administration had dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays in 2020.

CPI leader D Raja condemned Abdullah's detention as insulting. "It is utterly unacceptable that in Jammu & Kashmir, the LG's administration and J&K Police prevented even the elected Chief Minister OmarAbdullah, along with citizens and leaders, from paying their respects at the Martyrs' graveyard on July 13, arresting and manhandling them.

Also Read | 'Tyranny of unelected': When Omar Abdullah quoted Arun Jaitley

"Adding to this insult, numerous leaders were placed under house arrest, silenced within their own homes on a day of collective remembrance. This is not just a breach of democratic norms. It's a blatant assault on our conscience and a reminder of how far governance in J&K has fallen under authoritarian unaccountable rule," Raja said on X.

Restoration of statehood

CPI(M) demanded restoration of statehood to J-K and urged the administration to respect the people's verdict

What is wrong in visiting the graveyard of martyrs? This is not only unfortunate, it also snatches the democratic right of a citizen.

"This contempt for an elected government by the Central Govt and its representatives is unacceptable. Restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Respect the People's Verdict," it said.

(With agency inputs)

Key Takeaways

• The house arrest of Omar Abdullah raises serious concerns about democratic freedoms in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Opposition leaders are uniting to challenge the BJP's centralization of power and suppression of local governance.
• The event highlights the ongoing debate about statehood and civil rights in Kashmir.

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