Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 14 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday termed as 'unacceptable' 'shocking' and 'shameful' the alleged action by security forces to prevent Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from visiting the Naqshband Sahib in Srinagar.

'What is wrong in visiting the graveyard of martyrs? This is not only unfortunate, it also snatches the democratic right of a citizen. What happened this morning to an elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is unacceptable. Shocking. Shameful,' Mamata Banerjee said in a post on X.

https://x.com/MamataOfficial/status/1944682660556849374

On Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir Police sealed the Martyrs' cemetery in Srinagar and confined top political leaders, including Abdullah, inside their residences. barring them from visiting the Martyrs' Graveyard (Mazar-e-Shuhada), to mark the anniversary of the protesters shot dead by Maharaja Hari Singh's Dogra forces on July 13, 1931.

Omar Abdullah had been in West Bengal to participate in the Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) travel trade show Kolkata 2025 and on Thursday he had attended a conference with Mamata Banerjee in Howrah.

Meanwhile the Jammu and Kashmir today said that police attempted to stop him from reciting Fatiha (prayers) in the memory of 22 'martyrs' who were killed for protesting against Maharaja Hari Singh's rule.

He said he jumped over the boundary wall of the Mazar-e-Shuhada to offer prayers.after being placed under 'house arrest' yesterday.

'Paid my respects & offered Fatiha at the graves of the martyrs of 13th July 1931. The unelected government tried to block my way forcing me to walk from Nawhatta chowk. They blocked the gate to Naqshband Sb shrine forcing me to scale a wall. They tried to physically grapple me but I was not going to be stopped today,' Abdullah's post on X read.

The graveyard is attached to the shrine of Khwaja Bahawuddin Naqshbandi.

Abdullah also expressed anguish over the lack of media coverage in local newspapers on the issue of 'the entire elected government being locked up'.

'Take a look at our local newspapers - both from Jammu and from Srinagar, English & vernacular. You'll be able to distinguish the cowards from the ones with guts. The cowards have completely buried the fact that the entire elected government was locked up yesterday, along with most elected representatives. The newspapers with some guts have put it on the front page. Shame on the sellouts who buried the story, I hope the size of the envelope was worth it,' J-K chief minister said.

Abdullah also came down heavily on the 'unelected nominees of New Delhi' for allegedly locking up the elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir.

The J-K Chief Minister also shared pictures on his X account of police outside his residence, with armoured vehicles parked and movement restricted, as the regional parties, including the National Conference (NC), were denied permission to visit the martyrs' graveyard.

Martyrs' Day in Kashmir, which was previously observed as an official holiday in the State was delisted after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. (ANI)