SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir

Authorities in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday sealed all major roads leading to a historic graveyard in Srinagar, blocking Kashmiri leaders from visiting the site on the anniversary of a 1931 uprising, according to local media.

Police and paramilitary forces were deployed in the early hours of the day to seal entry points, allowing only official and security vehicles to pass, the Press Trust of India reported.

Leaders from the region, including members of the ruling National Conference party, said they were confined to their homes, calling it “unacceptable and unfortunate.”

"In a blatantly undemocratic move homes have been locked from the outside, police & central forces deployed as jailers & major bridges in Srinagar blocked," said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was elected with limited powers last year.

In a post on X, Abdullah added: "All to stop people from visiting a historically important grave yard containing the graves of people who laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice & to empower them. I will never understand what the Law & Order government is so afraid of."

The date commemorates the killing of 22 people during an uprising on July 13, 1931, under the rule of Dogra Maharaja Hari Singh, when the region was a princely state under British control. Since then, the day has been marked as the Kashmir Martyrs' Day.

It had long been observed as a public holiday, but the region lost that status in 2020 after the Indian government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy in August 2019, reorganizing it into two union territories.

This year, the National Conference said it had formally requested permission from the district administration to visit the gravesite, but was denied.

"The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on July 13, 2025 (Sunday)," the Srinagar Police said in a public advisory posted on X.

Police urged the public to comply with the directive, warning that “any violation of these orders shall invite strict legal action under relevant provisions of law.”

National Conference spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said the anniversary is not just a routine date.

“It is a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made in the pursuit of dignity, justice, and rights,” he said on X, adding that people in the region would continue to "honor their martyrs" peacefully, with dignity, and with unwavering resolve.