SRINAGAR (KIMS) — Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday foiled a proposed student protest against the reservation policy in Srinagar by placing several political leaders under house arrest.
Reports said National Conference MP from Srinagar Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders Iltija Mufti and Pulwama MLA Waheed Para, and former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattoo were confined to their residences ahead of the planned protest.
The leaders had expressed solidarity with students who were scheduled to hold a peaceful sit-in on Gupkar Road against the delay in rationalisation of the reservation policy, nearly a year after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah constituted a committee to examine the issue.
In a post on X, the office of MP Ruhullah Mehdi said police had officially informed him about his house arrest and restrictions on movement. It also said that some students were reportedly detained late Saturday night and that their families were intimidated for supporting the protest.
A heavy deployment of armed forces was reported outside the residence of Ruhullah Mehdi. “Is this a pre-emptive crackdown to silence a peaceful, pro-student demonstration? If yes, it exposes a disturbing fear of dissent. The authorities owe the public an explanation on what this deployment is for. Our plans for tomorrow stand,” it said in a late-night post.
A close aide of Waheed Para, in a separate post on X, said the Pulwama MLA was placed under house arrest during the night. “In the middle of the night, Waheed Para has been put under house arrest. Why is a peaceful protest for students’ rights being weaponised?” he said.
In a post on X late Saturday night, Para said the reservation policy had become an existential issue affecting the future of younger generations.
He said it had been over a year since students, along with political leaders, assembled outside the Chief Minister’s residence, but alleged that no concrete steps had been taken to resolve the issue.
Para said the reservation report should be placed in the public domain, adding that there was no justification for withholding the Cabinet sub-committee’s report even if its recommendations were awaiting approval from the Lieutenant Governor.
Posting on X, Iltija Mufti said she too had been placed under house arrest. “Like many others I’ve also been placed under house arrest at Srinagar today. The insecurity & paranoia of the security agencies knows no bounds. This is the ‘normalcy’ in Naya Kashmir. An entire contingent of female police personnel is deputed at the gate to physically stop me. Care to explain under what grounds @JmuKmrPolice?” she said.
Former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattoo, in a late-night post on X, said a heavy deployment of JKP and CRPF personnel had been stationed outside his residence ahead of his participation in the student sit-in. He said curbing voices seeking justice would not lend legitimacy to the policy and reiterated his support for the students.
Calling the house arrests unfortunate, PDP leader and Budgam MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi said the law meant to provide justice was being used to disempower people and deny them their rights.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a post on X, condemned the house detention of leaders and activists supporting the students. “The default response of those in authority to every issue in or about Kashmir is use of force. Even if it is a peaceful sit-in by anxious students protesting a lopsided reservation policy jeopardising their future, demanding justice,” he said, calling for urgent redressal of the issue.
The students who were detained ahead of the proposed protest were released after the intervention of political leaders. They thanked Rahul Gandhi and Ruhullah Mehdi, along with others who secured their release.
They also appealed to LG Manoj Sinha to release the reservation-related report at the earliest to bring clarity and transparency to the issue.
They reiterated their demand for fair consideration of Open Merit concerns and said timely disclosure of the report would help ease uncertainty among aspirants. — (KIMS)