J&K CM Omar Abdullah scaled a locked gate at Srinagar’s Naqshband Sahib graveyard to pay tribute on Martyrs’ Day, defying restrictions and alleging manhandling by police. He criticiSed Lt Governor Sinha and accused authorities of undermining basic democratic rights

Srinagar: A defiant Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday scaled the gates of the Naqshband Sahib graveyard to pay tribute to 22 people killed by the Dogra army in 1931 and alleged that efforts were made to “manhandle” him and his colleagues.

The dramatic scene unfolded a day after Abdullah and several leaders of the National Conference and opposition parties were allegedly put under house arrest to prevent them from going to the graveyard to mark Martyrs’ Day on July 13.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah took an autorickshaw from the Khanyar crossing to the martyrs memorial, while Minister for Education Sakina Itoo surprised everyone by riding pillion on a scooty to the memorial.

Security forces had sealed the roads leading to the martyrs’ graveyard from both Khanyar and Nowhatta sides in downtown Srinagar. As soon as Omar Abdullah’s cavalcade reached Khanyar in the old city, he got off his vehicle and walked more than a kilometre to reach the graveyard only to find the gates locked by the authorities.

The Chief Minister then climbed over the main gate and entered the graveyard premises to offer ‘fateha’. His security men and several other National Conference leaders also did so before the gate was finally thrown open.

Lashing out at Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and the police for trying to stop him and his entourage from entering the martyrs’ graveyard, Omar Abdullah told reporters, “It is sad that on the instructions of the people who claim that their responsibility is the security and law and order, we were not allowed to offer ‘fateha’ here. We were kept in house arrest (on Sunday).”

“See their brazenness, they tried to stop us today as well. They also tried to manhandle us. Police sometimes forget the law. Why was I stopped today, when the restriction was for yesterday?” added the furious Chief Minister. For all purposes, this is a free country, he went on to say. “But they think of us as their slaves. We are not. We are servants, but of the people. I don’t understand why they destroy the law while in uniform,” he said.