Srinagar, July 13 (KNS) : Former Chief Minister and President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, lashed out at the government’s decision to restrict access to the historic Martyrs' Graveyard on the anniversary of July 13, calling it a “betrayal of history” and a “mockery of national reconciliation.”

“The day you accept our heroes as your own—just as Kashmiris have embraced yours, from Mahatma Gandhi to Bhagat Singh—that day, as Prime Minister Modi once said, the dil ki doori (distance of hearts) will truly end,” Mehbooba said, underlining the enduring divide between state power and the sentiments of the Kashmiri people.

Denouncing the lockdown-like restrictions and the reported detention of several PDP leaders, Mehbooba added, “When you lay siege to the Martyrs’ Graveyard and lock people in their homes to stop them from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada, it speaks volumes.”

According to the PDP, several of its prominent leaders, including PDP General Secretary Mohammad Khurshid Alam Arif Laigaroo has been detained in Sadar Police station later alam was shifted to Humhama Police station, besides Zuhaib Mir, Hamid Kohsheen, , Sara Nayeema, Tabassum, Basharat Naseem, and others, were detained by police while attempting to pay homage at the site.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“They had managed to step out despite the restrictions but were taken into custody en route,” a party spokesperson said.

Mehbooba drew a historical parallel, warning that such heavy-handed measures echo the very oppression the July 13 martyrs stood up against. “It seems we are drifting back into the same dark times that our martyrs sacrificed their lives to resist. Their memory is not just sacred but also a mirror held up to today’s governance.”

July 13, 1931, marks a pivotal moment in Kashmir’s history when 22 Kashmiris were shot dead by the Dogra regime for demanding justice and democratic rights. For decades, this day has been observed as a symbol of resistance and remembrance—until recent years, where official recognition has seen a deliberate retreat.

The PDP has demanded the immediate release of its detained leaders and called upon civil society, intellectuals, and political stakeholders across India to introspect whether silencing historical memory is a step toward national unity or deepening alienation.

“This is not about a date or a graveyard,” Mehbooba said. “This is about dignity, acknowledgement, and the promise of a shared future.”(KNS)