Srinagar: The Lieutenant Governor’s administration Monday imposed restrictions in several parts of Srinagar to prevent people from assembling at the martyrs’ graveyard in Naqshband Sahib area of the city.
While the area within a one-kilometre radius of the graveyard was sealed off on Sunday, barricades were set up in the old city and some parts of the civil lines area as a precautionary measure, officials said.
Police and paramilitary forces were deployed in strength “to meet any eventuality and maintain law and order”.
Locals observe July 13 to commemorate protestors who fell to the bullets of Maharaja Hari Singh’s soldiers in 1931.
A siege of concertina wires, plastic barricades, GI sheets and poles was laid near Nowhatta to prevent the leaders’ march to the graveyard today.
Education Minister Sakina Ittoo posted on social media a video of herself trying to reach the graveyard at 4.30 am to pay tributes to the fallen men, but claimed she was stopped by security forces.
“I tried to visit the Mazar-e-Shuhada at 4.30 am today to pay my humble tributes to our martyrs of 13th July. However, due to the heavy deployment of security forces and extensive barbed-wire barricading around the graves, I was prevented from entering. I was accompanied by the Provincial President of the JKNC Women’s Wing @sabiya_qadri Ji,” the minister said in a post on X.
Sources in the establishment said the restrictions have been imposed in the city to prevent a repeat of last year’s drama, when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah scaled a fence to offer tributes after police locked the gates.
The police in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir report to the Lieutenant Governor.
Last year, ahead of the day, Omar Abdullah and many other leaders were put under house arrest.
Despite restrictions, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah took an autorickshaw from the Khanyar crossing to the memorial, while Education Minister Sakina Itoo surprised everyone by riding pillion on a scooter to join the veteran politician.
The chief minister climbed over the main gate of the graveyard to offer ‘fateha’. His security men and several other party leaders followed him, eventually forcing the police to open the gate.
On July 13, 1931, 22 people were gunned down by the Dogra army outside Srinagar’s central jail.
In 2020, the LG-led administration dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays.
