It is deeply disappointing and utterly irresponsible that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has chosen to equate the events of July 13, 1931, with the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre. This flawed and misleading comparison is not only historically inaccurate but is a grave insult to the martyrs of India’s freedom struggle who laid down their lives for the cause of independence.
This was stated by Sunil Sharma, the Leader of Opposition in J&K Assembly and General Secretary, J&K BJP.
Sunil Sharma said that the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919 remains one of the darkest and bloodiest chapters of British colonial rule in India. On that fateful day, hundreds of innocent and unarmed Indians, including men, women, and children were gunned down in cold blood by British troops led by General Dyer, simply for gathering peacefully to protest unjust laws. These victims were not part of any mob. They were peaceful citizens demanding freedom and dignity from foreign rule. As Indians, remembering them is our collective moral and national duty.
Sunil Sharma said that in sharp contrast, what transpired in Srinagar on July 13, 1931, was not a peaceful protest but a violent communal attack, incited by communal and politically motivated conspiracy against Maharaja. The unrest began following inflammatory speeches by Abdul Qadeer, a domestic servant of a British officer, who sought to provoke religious passions. After his arrest, a frenzied crowd gathered outside the Srinagar jail, defied repeated warnings, and attempted to storm the premises. The resulting police firing led to the death of 13 individuals.
However, the violence did not end there. The aftermath witnessed widespread communal targeting. Hindu and Sikh households, businesses, temples, and gurdwaras in Srinagar and even regions like Rajouri, Mirpur, and Muzaffarabad were attacked, looted, and destroyed. This cannot and should not be glorified as a freedom struggle. It was a dark chapter of communal violence, not a nationalist movement, said Sh. Sunil Sharma.
“As Sunil Sharma, Leader of the Opposition in the J&K Assembly and General Secretary of the J&K BJP, I strongly condemn this deliberate distortion of facts by the Honourable CM. The events of 1931, as clearly recorded in the Barjor Dalal Committee Report and books like The Burning of Kashmir by J.S. Raghavan, were marked by lawlessness, rioting, and the targeting of innocent civilians. Unlike the peaceful victims of Jallianwala Bagh who stood against colonial oppression, the 1931 mob turned against fellow citizens and a native administration”, he said.
Sunil Sharma further said, “Let us be clear the victims of Jallianwala Bagh were national heroes who fought against foreign tyranny. The violent rioters of 1931 were used as pawns by vested interests seeking to destabilize communal harmony and undermine the native Dogra rule. The two events are fundamentally different in intent, character, and consequence.”
For decades, history in Jammu & Kashmir has been manipulated for political ends. But with the abrogation of Article 370, a new era of truth and transparency has begun. It is now our duty to reclaim our real history and educate our youth with facts, not fiction, he said.
“As a responsible public leader, I call upon Omar Abdullah and his party to stop misleading the people by glorifying a communal mob as martyrs. Such false equivalence not only disrespects the memory of true freedom fighters but also sows seeds of discord among communities. It is unjust, dangerous, and unacceptable”, he said.
Sunil Sharma further warned that to compare the sacred martyrdom of Jallianwala Bagh with the communal violence of July 13, 1931, is not only a historical blunder, it is a disservice to the nation. He urged the people of Jammu & Kashmir to reject this distortion and stand united in defending our shared national legacy built on truth, sacrifice, and unity.
