J&K Martyrs’ Day row: Omar Abdullah lashes out at local media, calls them 'cowards, sellouts’

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has strongly criticised local newspapers for failing to report that the entire elected government of Jammu and Kashmir was placed under house arrest by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration on Martyrs’ Day,  July 13. He accused them of lacking courage and called them “cowards and sellouts”.

 

 “Take a look at our local newspapers – both from Jammu and from Srinagar, English and local languages. You’ll easily see who had courage and who didn’t. The cowards hid the truth that the elected government and most elected representatives were locked up. Some newspapers with courage put the truth on the front page. Shame on those who buried the story. I hope the envelope was worth it,” Omar wrote on X.

 

 In a series of posts, Omar called the situation a blatant attack on democracy. “The unelected government locked up the elected government,” he said. He went on to condemn the deployment of security forces to block access to the Martyrs’ graveyard in Srinagar, where tributes are usually paid on July 13.

 

“In a completely undemocratic move, homes were locked from the outside, police and central forces were used like jailers, and key bridges in Srinagar were blocked. All of this was done to stop people from visiting a graveyard where those who gave their lives for Kashmir’s voice and rights are buried. I don’t understand what the government is so afraid of,” he said.

 

Omar's criticism comes amid growing anger over the restrictions placed on Martyrs’ Day for the second year in a row. Political leaders from both ruling and opposition parties were prevented from leaving their homes and holding any commemorative events.

 

Martyrs’ Day marks the killing of 22 civilians by the Dogra forces outside Srinagar Central Jail in 1931. The protestors had gathered to demand justice and representation, and the event is seen as a turning point in Kashmir’s political awakening. 

 

For decades, July 13 was officially recognised as Martyrs’ Day, and it was a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir. Leaders would traditionally visit the Martyrs’ graveyard in Srinagar to pay their respects.

 

However, since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the Lieutenant Governor’s administration has scrapped the holiday and banned all official and public commemorations, citing law and order concerns. 

 

Putting elected leaders under house arrest and people barred from visiting the graveyard has reinforced the fact that the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir has no authority.

India