Kashmir's chief cleric says he was detained at home ahead of Martyrs' Day
In a post on X, Farooq alleged that the action was taken due to fear that he would mention the Kashmir Martyrs' Day, observed on July 13, in his Friday sermon.
July 13 is marked as Martyrs' Day to honour the 22 persons who were shot dead outside the Srinagar Central Jail by the armed forces of Dogra ruler Hari Singh in 1931.
It was dropped as a public holiday after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government abrogated Article 370 in August 2019, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Following the abrogation, the Centre had also taken out the birth and death anniversary of Sheikh Abdullah, the founder of the ruling National Conference, from the official list of holidays.
On Friday, Farooq said that the sacrifice of the '[22] martyrs and all the martyrs since' was etched in Kashmir's collective memory and could not be 'undone' by restrictions or bans. 'No living nation can forget the supreme sacrifice of life of its martyrs against tyranny and injustice,' he said.
The Hurriyat Conference leader urged the authorities in the Union Territory to remove the restrictions and allow residents to 'peacefully pay homage to the martyrs of July 13'.
His remarks came a day after several regional parties in the Union Territory, including the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, demanded the resumption of the official ceremony to commemorate July 13 as Martyrs' Day, The Hindu reported.
The National Conference government in Jammu and Kashmir has also written to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to re-incorporate July 13 and Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary as official holidays, party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar told The Hindu.
'Besides, the NC has sought formal permission from the administration to allow a delegation headed by party general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar to visit the graveyard where the martyrs of 1931 are buried in the old city on July 13,' he added.
On the other hand, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said that the proposal floated by the Omar Abdullah government would have 'carried weight' if the speaker in the Assembly had supported her party's earlier resolution for the day to be reinstated.
'The speaker's outright rejection of the resolution was unexpected and disappointing,' the newspaper quoted Mufti as saying. 'Today's exercise looks more like lip service than any serious effort.'
The Opposition party also held a meeting at its headquarters to announce its decision to visit the martyrs' graveyard, also known as Mazar-e-Shuhada, on Monday to pay tribute to them, The Hindu reported.
'July 13 is a reminder of the people's struggle against tyranny and injustice,' party leader Sartaj Madni said.
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