3 former CM’s put under house arrest as authorities foil PAGD’s protest against Delimitation panel’s report

Omar decries curbs, says authorities terrified by silent sit in; Mehbooba accuses Govt of being intolerant

SRINAGAR: The authorities on Saturday placed three former Chief Minister’s of Jammu and Kashmir under house arrest as it foiled the People Alliance for Gupkar Declaration’s protest against the delimitation panel’s report

Sources in the PAGD told that police vans were placed outside the entry gates of National Conference leader Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and also outside the residence of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. The PAGD had announced a silent sit-in against the delimitation panel’s report that advocated the addition of six seats to the Jammu region and only one to Kashmir

Omar Abdullah tweeted: “Good morning and welcome to 2022. A new year with the same J&K police illegally locking people in their homes and an administration so terrified of normal democratic activity. Trucks parked outside our gates so scuttle the peaceful PAGD sit-in protest.

Some things never change”, PAGD Chief Dr Farooq Abdullah said that he is under house arrest. “They claim all is well.. we are sitting inside our houses,” he said. PDP president Mehbooba also confirmed that she has been placed under house arrest.

She also took to twitter and wrote: “GoI trumpets scrapping Article 370 dismembering J&K throughout the country but is deeply paranoid intolerant when people of J&K want to protest against its disempowerment. For the umpteenth time, we’ve been placed under house arrest for trying to organise a peaceful protest.”

CPI(M) leader and PAGD spokesman, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, tweeted; “In Kashmir, New Year began on another disappointing note where police resumed their work of scuttling the legitimate voices & squeezing democratic space by cracking down on protest against delimitation commission. Entire PAGD leadership, including me, have been put under house arrest”.

Meanwhile, NC women leader Shameema Firdous and youth leader Salman Sagar took out a rally against the delimitation panel’s proposal. They criticized the government for placing top leadership of PAGD under house detention stating that the move was totally undemocratic—(KNO)