Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday claimed she and some senior leaders of her party were placed under house arrest while several others were detained on the fourth year of the abrogation of Article 370.
August 5 marks the fourth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, when the Centre revoked Article 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union territories — J-K and Ladakh — in 2019.
“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,” she wrote on X.
“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,” the PDP chief said.
The party alleged that they were being denied permission to the party for organising a peaceful programme on the fourth anniversary, and a “massive crackdown” was carried against leaders on Friday 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, reported PTI.
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.
Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) also said that its party headquarter Nawa-i-Subah was “sealed” and no one was allowed to go inside.
“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.
Meanwhile, Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone called August 5 a “sad reminder of the disempowerment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.
“August 5 is a sad day. A sad reminder of the disempowerment of the people of J and K. The process of disempowerment continues. And the belittling of institutions, individuals and the people of J and K continues. For those patting their own backs and believing in their own fiction — don’t mistake fear for consent,” Lone wrote in a post on X.
Following the abrogation, several petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Centre’s decision.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court asked petitioners challenging the amendment to Article 370 whether their argument that changes made to the provision in 2019 is beyond the amending powers of Parliament amounts to creating a new category, apart from the Basic Structure, which too is immune to amendment.
“You are saying, therefore, that there is a provision of the Constitution which lies even beyond the amending power of Parliament. So we are then creating a new category, apart from Basic Structure, and Article 370 belongs to that?” Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, presiding over a five-judge Constitution Bench, asked Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal who appeared for the petitioners.
Thursday was the second day of hearing, and it will resume on August 8.