Mehbooba's claims: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday (August 5) claimed that she and some other leaders of her party were placed under house arrest as the Centre’s move to abrogate Article 370 marked its fourth anniversary today.
She claimed that her party workers were “illegally detained” in police stations in a midnight crackdown.
“I’ve been put under house arrest along with other senior PDP leaders today. This comes after a midnight crackdown where scores of my party men are illegally detained in police stations. GOI's false claims about normalcy to the SC stands exposed by their actions driven by paranoia,” Mehbooba tweeted.
She said that the giant hoardings have been put up across Srinagar calling upon the Kashmiris to “celebrate” the “illegal abrogation” of Article 370.
“On one hand, giant hoardings calling upon Kashmiris to ‘celebrate’ the illegal abrogation of Article 370 have been put up across Srinagar. Whereas brute force is being used to choke the actual sentiment of the people. Hope the Hon’ble SC takes cognisance of these developments at a time when Article 370 has come up for hearing,” she said.
Art 370 abrogated
The special status of Jammu and Kashmir through Article 370 was revoked by the Narendra Modi government on August 5, 2019, in a significant step soon after returning to power for the second term. The move bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union territories - J-K and Ladakh.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said after denying permission to the party for organising a peaceful programme on the fourth anniversary of Article 370 abrogation, a “massive crackdown” was carried against the party leaders during the night.
A party spokesman alleged that former ministers Abdul Rehman Veeri, Nayeem Akhter and Asia Naqash, PDP general secretary Ghulam Nahi Lone Hanjura, general secretary (organisation) Mehboob Beg, and district president Budgam Mohammad Yasin Bhat were put under house arrest.
He said party chief spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari, youth president Waheed ur Rehman Parra, state secretary Abdul Hameed Kohsheen, additional spokesperson Abdul Rouf Bhat, district president Srinagar Abdul Qayoom Bhat and other party leaders and workers were detained in different police stations.
He claimed that the roads leading to the PDP headquarters were also sealed and nobody was allowed to enter the office.
“True to form and in keeping with the clampdown on mainstream democratic activities organised by parties opposed to 5th Aug 2019, the JKNC office has been sealed by the police. No one is being allowed in or out of the office,” it said in a social media post.
“These steps betray the nervousness of the administration & render hollow their claims regarding great improvements in the last 4 years,” it added.
The police, however, were tight-lipped about the alleged restrictions on NC and PDP leaders.
(With PTI inputs)
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