Srinagar: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday held a protest march here against Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Sunil Sharma over his remarks on the 1931 “martyrs” and sought an apology from the BJP legislator.
Led by PDP leader Iltija Mufti, party leaders and activists marched from the party head office here towards the Lal Chowk City centre but were stopped by police near Polo View.
The protesters, carrying placards reading “Martyrs of July 13, 1931 are our heroes” and “July 13, 1931 sacrifices will never die”, raised slogans against Sharma and the BJP.
“Those martyrs sacrificed their lives to end the autocratic rule in Jammu and Kashmir,” Iltija told reporters.
“We will not accept the disrespect of the martyrs. Had they not sacrificed their lives, democracy would not have been established here,” she said.
She said the PDP would not allow the BJP to erase “our collective memory”.
“We will foil all such plans of the BJP. Those 22 martyrs are our heroes and we will remember their sacrifices,” she said. The PDP leader also demanded an apology from Sharma.
“During the ongoing budget session, the BJP insulted and abused our martyrs, and the police once again prevented us from registering a peaceful protest in their honor. The fact that a democratic system forbids a nonviolent protest is the height of cruelty,” she said.
Iltija, who is the daughter of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, called on other parties to support a resolution brought by PDP MLA Waheed Para seeking restoration of holidays on July 13 and December 5 — the birthday of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
“We will not permit any group or individual to show disrespect for our courageous martyrs who gave their lives on July 13, 1931, in opposition to the Maharaja’s despotic regime. Calling them traitors and arsonists is something we cannot tolerate. The people of J&K will determine who is a traitor and who is a nationalist; the BJP has no power to make such decisions,” added Iltija Mufti.
Sharma made the remarks on Wednesday after Para demanded the restoration of the two holidays in the assembly during the ongoing budget session. The leader of opposition’s “derogatory remarks” were later expunged by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
Around 22 protesters were killed by soldiers of the Dogra army on July 13, 1931, during an uprising against Maharaja Hari Singh, the last ruler of Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP accused the protesters of rebelling against Maharaja Hari Singh. It said the observance of this day would never be revived in the region.
“I want to clarify that July 13, which is called ‘martyrs’ day’ by them (Kashmiri leaders), we consider it a ‘traitors’ day’. This will never be restored in the land of Jammu and Kashmir again,” Sharma told reporters on Wednesday.
July 13 used to be a public holiday in J&K with the governor or the chief minister paying tributes to those killed on this day at an official function held at the ‘Martyrs’ graveyard’ in the premises of Naqshband Saheb’s shrine in Nowhatta area.
The holiday was scrapped after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The official functions are not held anymore.
