Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 13

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of turning the legacy of the 1931 Kashmir martyrs into a communal issue after authorities prevented political leaders from visiting the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar.

Mufti made the remarks after security forces sealed the Naqshband Sahab graveyard and surrounding areas, stopping political leaders and the public from offering tributes on the anniversary of the killing of 22 protesters outside Srinagar Central Jail in 1931.

Addressing reporters at the PDP headquarters, Mufti said the protesters had sacrificed their lives in opposition to what she described as the autocratic rule of the Dogra monarchy and should be remembered for their role in the region’s democratic movement.

She accused the BJP of attempting to recast the historical event through communal and regional narratives instead of recognising it as a political struggle against authoritarian rule.

“Their sacrifice was for the rights of the people, not for any religious cause,” she said.

Mufti said successive generations in Jammu and Kashmir regarded the 1931 protesters as part of the broader struggle for democratic rights, comparing their legacy with that of India’s freedom fighters.

She also criticised authorities for imposing restrictions around the graveyard, saying she had been confined to her residence a day earlier while access to the site remained blocked on Monday.

“If the government does not wish to observe the day officially, it should at least allow people to pay their respects peacefully,” she said.

PDP leader Iltija Mufti said police prevented party leaders from leaving the party office and accused the administration of attempting to rewrite Jammu and Kashmir’s political history by restricting commemorative events.

Authorities deployed heavy contingents of police and paramilitary forces across Srinagar’s old city, citing precautionary security measures to prevent public gatherings.

The July 13 anniversary commemorates the deaths of 22 protesters who were shot outside Srinagar Central Jail during demonstrations against the princely state’s administration in 1931. The occasion was observed as an official public holiday before Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status was revoked in 2019, after which the holiday and state-sponsored commemorations were discontinued.

Political parties, including the PDP and the ruling National Conference, have continued to observe the anniversary, while authorities have imposed security restrictions in recent years, citing law-and-order concerns.