Srinagar: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday strongly condemned the Jammu and Kashmir administration for allegedly preventing former CM Omar Abdullah from visiting the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar on the occasion of Martyrs’ Day.
In a post on X, Banerjee called the move “unfortunate” and “shocking,” asserting that it violated the fundamental rights of a citizen.
“What is wrong in visiting the graveyard of martyrs? This is not only unfortunate, it also snatches the democratic right of a citizen. What happened this morning to an elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is unacceptable. Shocking. Shameful,” Banerjee wrote.
Her statement came after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said he was barred from offering tributes at the Naqshband Sahib shrine, where the martyrs of July 13, 1931, are buried. The day commemorates the 22 Kashmiris killed by the Dogra regime, a turning point in the Valley’s political consciousness.
The incident sparked widespread political outrage, with several leaders condemning what they described as “deliberate suppression” of symbolic democratic gestures.
Banerjee’s sharp remarks underscore a growing sense of concern among national opposition leaders about the curbing of civil liberties in Jammu and Kashmir.
