On Monday, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, along with several cabinet ministers, was stopped by police while trying to visit the graves of the July 13 martyrs in Srinagar. Despite the restrictions, Abdullah scaled a wall to access the graveyard, as the main gate appeared locked. A video posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account showed him walking toward the cemetery accompanied by security personnel, then climbing the wall to enter.

In his post, Abdullah said he had gone to pay his respects and offer Fatiha at the graves of the 1931 martyrs, accusing the "unelected government" of trying to prevent him from reaching the site. He stated that authorities forced him to walk from Nawhatta Chowk and blocked the gate to the Naqshband Sahib shrine, compelling him to climb the wall. He added that police tried to physically stop him, but he refused to be held back. Another video showed officers attempting to restrain him, which he described as "physical grappling," asserting that he was doing nothing unlawful and demanding an explanation from the authorities under what legal grounds he was being stopped.

According to PTI, many political leaders in the region were placed under house arrest the day before, preventing them from visiting the graveyard on July 13, which has long been observed as Martyrs’ Day in the region. Abdullah further alleged that when he expressed his intention to offer prayers on Sunday, security bunkers were set up to block access, and these remained in place until late at night. He criticized the authorities, stating that those responsible for law and order were instead preventing people from offering simple prayers.

The significance of July 13 dates back to 1931, when a group of Kashmiris gathered outside the Srinagar Central Jail to protest the trial of Abdul Qadeer, who had spoken out against the Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh. In response, the forces of the Maharaja opened fire on the crowd, killing 22 people. Since then, the day has been marked as Martyrs’ Day in Jammu and Kashmir in memory of those killed. However, after the former state was reorganized into two Union Territories in August 2019, the day was removed from the official list of public holidays in 2020.