Srinagar: Former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday set out from his home on foot to reach the party office here after the police allegedly denied him escort vehicles and ITBP personnel cover while as another former chief minster Mehbooba Mufti alleged that she was put under house arrest to prevent her from paying homage to 22 Kashmiri people who were killed by the army of a Dogra ruler on this day in 1931.
Abdullah, the vice-president of the National Conference (NC), was scheduled to address a function at the party headquarters, Nawa-i-Subah, to pay homage to 22 Kashmiri people who were killed by the army of a Dogra ruler on this day in 1931.
He alleged the Jammu and Kashmir Police denied him his security escort vehicles and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) cover to visit the party headquarters.
There was no immediate reaction from the police.
Unfazed by the alleged denial, Abdullah set out to the office near Zero Bridge — around one kilometre from his residence in the Gupkar area — on foot. A handful of his special security group personnel — a wing of J&K Police responsible for guarding VVIPs — walked along with him.
The former chief minister took to Twitter and posted a video of his walk.
“Dear @JmuKmrPolice don’t think that refusing to give me my escort vehicles & ITBP cover will stop me. I’ll walk to where I have to get to & that’s exactly what I’m doing now,” Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
After reaching office, where party leaders and activists were waiting for him, the NC vice-president said the “police would now send everything” for his security.
“Now that I’ve got to the office & will go ahead with my programme you will send everything. The fact is @JmuKmrPolice has stopped a lot of my senior colleagues from coming to the @JKNC_ office today by adopting the same tactics of stopping them in their homes. Notable amongst those stopped are Abdul Rahim Rather Sb, @AliMSagar_ Sb, Ali Mohd Dar Sb and others,” he said.
July 13 was 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 and splitting of the erstwhile state into two Union territories by the Centre on August 5, 2019.
Apart from the official function at the Martyrs’ graveyard in the city, mainstream political leaders also used to visit it to pay homage to the 22 Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the Dogra army while protesting the autocratic rule of Maharaja Hari Singh.
However, there have been no official functions since 2018 when J&K went under the Governor’s rule.
For the last few years, political parties have alleged their movement was restricted on the day and they were not allowed to visit the graveyard.
Speaking to reporters at his party office, Abdullah said he does not have a habit of creating a “drama” and he did not have any plans for a foot march.
“I wanted to come in a vehicle. I do not have a habit of creating drama. But, today they compelled me to come out of home and walk on foot, as they stopped all my vehicles, did not allow the security to move, because they did not want me to reach the office and pay homage to 13 July martyrs,” he said.
The NC vice-president said if the authorities “do this regularly, I will have no other option than to take such steps”.
Asked about the cancellation of the July 13 holiday, Abdullah said when the government changes, such decisions can also be changed.
“Governments change, governments’ decisions change and the times change. Today, they have cancelled one holiday and added another one. But, no worries, these times will also change. The way they used the pen to cancel many holidays and added new ones, same way, when the new government comes, it will cancel many and add many others,” he said.
Meanwhile, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday alleged she was put under house arrest to prevent her from paying homage to 22 Kashmiri people who were killed by the army of a Dogra ruler on this day in 1931.
The former chief minister said she will not allow the BJP to “distort our history or forget our heroes”.
“I’m under house arrest for wanting to visit Martyr’s graveyard today. This at a time when GOI has used its tall claims of normalcy in SC (Supreme Court) to justify an act of betrayal- the illegal abrogation of Article 370,” she wrote on Twitter.
Mufti also posted photos and videos showing the main gate of her residence — in the Khimber area on the outskirts of the city — locked from outside.
“BJPs own heroes Vir Sarvarkar, Shyama Prasad Mukheriji ,Gowalkar & Godse who spread hatred & division can’t be forced on us. For us those who sacrificed their lives for democracy to take root in J&K will always be admired for their act of courage. We won’t allow you to distort our history or forget our heroes. On the occasion of Martyrs day, I salute their courage for valiantly fighting against despots to the end,” she said.
