Says barring tributes at Mazar-e-shohada, a betrayal of democratic values enshrined in the Constitution
Srinagar, July 13 (KNS) : The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah Sunday denounced the imposition of restrictions that prevented party leaders, legislators, and YNC workers from offering Fatiha and floral tributes at Mazar-e-Shohada, Khawaja Bazar, on the solemn observance of 13th July Martyrs’ Day.
Calling the move a “shameful assault on democratic values” Dr. Farooq said that the martyrs of 13 July 1931 laid down their lives for principles of justice, representation, and dignity, principles that are now enshrined in the very Constitution the government claims to uphold.
“Preventing people from remembering 13 July martyrs is not governance but suppression. It is a blatant betrayal of the very ideals for which the 13th July martyrs gave their lives,” Dr. Farooq said.
He stressed that such coercive tactics not only violate the constitutional rights of citizens but are also a deliberate attempt to erase the memory of Kashmir’s rich and hard-earned political legacy.
“The sacrifices of the 13 July martyrs empowered the people of J&K to reclaim their agency, their rights, and their future.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelAttempts to rewrite or erase that history through force and fear are both disgraceful and futile,” he added.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah took serious exception to the widespread detentions of senior National Conference leaders, Cabinet Ministers, Hon'ble MLA's and party functionaries, calling it an “authoritarian crackdown” aimed at silencing political expression.
“What we are witnessing is not just an insensitive overreach; it is a systematic dismantling of democratic space in Jammu and Kashmir. These actions are clearly unconstitutional and undemocratic,” he said.
He said that such oppressive measures cannot extinguish the people’s collective memory or their commitment to honoring the sacrifices of their heroes.
“You may detain leaders and bar them from gravesites, but you cannot imprison the truth. The people of Jammu and Kashmir will never forget the courage and sacrifice of the martyrs of 13 July. Their legacy lives on in every heart, and no government action can erase that,” he added.(KNS)