Srinagar: Authorities have put three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir – Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti under house arrest.
Police have not given any explanation to the former chief ministers why they have been put under house arrest.
“This is the “naya/new J&K” after Aug 2019. We get locked up in our homes with no explanation. It’s bad enough they’ve locked my father (a sitting MP) & me in our home, they’ve locked my sister & her kids in their home as well,” tweeted Omar Abdullah.
Omar said the staff that works in his house were not allowed in.
“Chalo, your new model of democracy means that we are kept in our homes without explanation but on top of that the staff that works in the house aren’t being allowed in and then you are surprised that I’m still angry & bitter,” he tweeted.
Authorities put Mehbooba Mufti under house arrest on Saturday afternoon.
Police had put barricades at all the three entry and exit points on the Gupkar road, meant for civilian movement.
“We were not allowed to drive on the Gupkar road yesterday, with police personnel guarding the road saying orders have come from top officials,” said a journalist.
A police official at the spot confirmed the house arrest of the three chief ministers. “But, we don’t know the reason for their house arrest,” he said.
However, Srinagar Police tweeted that today is the second anniversary of the dreaded Lethpora-Pulwama attack. “There shall be no ROP on ground. Due to adverse inputs, movement of VIPs/Protected persons has been discouraged and all concerned were informed in advance not to plan a tour today,” Srinagar police tweeted in response to Omar’s tweet.
At least 40 paramilitary CRPF men were killed in one of the deadliest attacks in Kashmir at Lethpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on February 14, 2019.
Interpol has issued red notices against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar and three of his relatives in connection with the attack that brought two nuclear neighbors India and Pakistan to the brink of war.
A delegation of European envoys is likely to visit Kashmir on February 16.
The trio was arrested on August 5, 2019, and released from detention after several months.
