‘Won’t allow attempts to distort history’
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 13: Two former Chief Ministers today said they faced restrictions regarding their commemorative activities to observe the ‘Martyrs’ Day’. The leaders said they were scheduled to pay homage to 22 Kashmiri people who were killed on July 13, 1931.
Former CM and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah alleged that he was denied his “security cover”, while another former CM and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said she was placed under “house arrest”. Both said they won’t allow attempts to distort history or forget their “heroes”.
Mehbooba Mufti also posted a video on her social media handles Facebook and Twitter, alleging she is under “house arrest” for wanting to visit ‘Martyr’s Graveyard’ in Srinagar.
“This at a time when GoI has used its tall claims of normalcy in SC to justify an act of betrayal- the illegal abrogation of Article 370,” Mufti wrote on her Twitter handle.
Showing the main gate of her house as locked from the outside and a policeman not on video telling her that they have orders from higher-ups, the PDP chief in the tweet mentioned, “For us those who sacrificed their lives for democracy to take root in J&K will always be admired for their act of courage. We won’t allow you to distort our history or forget our heroes. On the occasion of Martyrs Day, I salute their courage for valiantly fighting against despots to the end.”
Criticizing the BJP, Mufti wrote, “BJPs own heroes Vir Sarvarkar, Shyama Prasad Mukheriji ,Gowalkar & Godse who spread hatred & divison can’t be forced on us.”
Meanwhile, after attending the function at party headquarters for paying homage to the ‘July 13, 1931 martyrs’, Omar told reporters that he had no intention of “marching” by foot, neither is he habitual of orchestrating any “drama”.
“They had a purpose that I should not be able to reach the office today to pay homage to martyrs of 13th July. I was compelled to come by foot as all of my vehicles were stopped and if the police repeat and do the same, I would have no choice but to take similar steps,” he said.
In response to a question that earlier July 13 was being observed as a State holiday, the former CM replied that the Governments change and their decisions too change.
“Today one holiday has been cancelled and another has been declared. No worries, that era will too change. Like they changed several holidays by using the pen and declared several; similarly the new Government will come and do the same,” he said.
Altaf Bukhari, president of the Apni Party, said that they too “are among the common men”. “We were also barred from visiting the martyrs’ graveyard today like every other common person,” he said.
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