Srinagar, July 12 -- Ahead of Martyrs' Day on July 13, Hurriyat Conference chairman and chief cleric of Jamia Masjid Mirwaiz Molvi Umar Farooq was put under house arrest and wasn't allowed to lead Friday prayers at city's grand Jamia Masjid. Farooq asked the government to remove restrictions on him so that he can pay homage to July 13 martyrs. "Disallowed to go to Jama Masjid today, put under house arrest, fearing the mention of the martyrs of 13th July 1931 in my Friday sermon! The sacrifice of these martyrs and all the martyrs since, is etched in the collective memory of Kashmir and cannot not be undone by restrictions and bans," Farooq wrote on X. "If allowed as per our tradition, we will visit the martyrs' graveyard on July 13 after Zuhr prayers and pay homage to the revered martyrs," he said. National Conference chief spokesman and legislator Tanvir Sadiq termed Mirwaiz's detention unfortunate. "Silencing a religious leader...dishonours not just his voice but the legacy of our martyrs," he said. He said July 13, 1931, was a turning point in Kashmir's history a brave stand against tyranny and injustice. "No bans or restrictions can erase the memory of that sacrifice. Kashmir will always honour its martyrs with dignity, peace, and truth." July 13 was observed as Martyrs' Day in the erstwhile state of J&K in memory of 21 Kashmiris who were killed by the army of Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh during an uprising in 1931 when the region was a princely state. Before 2019, Kashmir would observe a shutdown every year on the day in memory of the martyrs, venerated by both mainstream politicians as well as separatists.HTC...