SRINAGAR: Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday alleged that he was placed under house arrest and barred from leading congregational prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, just days ahead of Martyrs’ Day on July 13.Taking to social media platform X, the Mirwaiz said he was prevented from delivering his weekly Friday sermon, reportedly due to concerns that he might speak about the martyrs of July 13, 1931—those who lost their lives while protesting against the autocratic Dogra regime.”Disallowed to go to Jama Masjid today, put under house arrest, fearing the mention of the martyrs of 13th July 1931 in my Friday sermon,” he posted.
Mirwaiz added that the sacrifices made by the July 13 martyrs, along with countless others who have died in Kashmir over the decades, are embedded in the region’s collective consciousness. “Such memories cannot be erased by restrictions and bans,” he asserted.
Martyrs’ Day, observed annually on July 13, commemorates the killing of 22 Kashmiris by Dogra forces outside the Central Jail in Srinagar in 1931. It has historically been a significant political and cultural event in the region.
