PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said she was put under house arrest to prevent her from paying homage to the 22 Kashmiri martyrs who were shot by the military of the Dogra ruler on this day in 1931.

Another former chief minister, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, walked to his party office from his Gupkar residence to offer tributes to the martyrs without his escort vehicle and police security. He said several leaders of NC have been stopped by the police from reaching the office to pay homage to the martyrs.

Omar wrote on Twitter; “Dear @JmuKmrPolice don’t think that refusing to give me my escort vehicles & ITBP cover will stop me. I’ll walk to where I have to get to & that’s exactly what I’m doing now”.

Mehbooba posted a video on the Twitter in which the main gate of her house was locked from outside and she is seen making vain attempts to open the gate. She said she will not allow the BJP to “distort our history or forget our heroes”.

She wrote on Twitter; “I’m under house arrest for wanting to visit Martyr’s graveyard today. This at a time when GOI has used its tall claims of normalcy in SC (Supreme Court) to justify an act of betrayal- the illegal abrogation of Article 370.”

“BJP’s own heroes Vir Sarvarkar, Shyama Prasad Mukheriji ,Gowalkar  & Godse who spread hatred & divison can’t be forced on us. For us those who sacrificed their lives for democracy to take root in J&K will always be admired for their act of courage. We won’t allow you to distort our history or forget our heroes. On the occasion of Martyrs day, I salute their courage for valiantly fighting against despots to the end,” she wrote.

Omar Abdullah wrote: “Now that I’ve got to the office & will go ahead with my programme you will send everything. The fact is @JmuKmrPolice has stopped a lot of my senior colleagues from coming to the @JKNC_ office today by adopting the same tactics of stopping them in their homes. Notable amongst those stopped are Abdul Rahim Rather Sb, @AliMSagar_ Sb, Ali Mohd Dar Sb and others. ”

He said the present government cancelled the holiday on martyrs’ day after abrogation of Article 370. The holiday will be restored when an elected government comes to power.

CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that the historic event of martyrdom on 13 July 1931 can never be erased.