Key Takeaways
- The fourth anniversary of the Article 370 abrogation triggered a crackdown on opposition leaders.
- Mehbooba Mufti and senior PDP members were placed under house arrest amid heightened tensions.
- Both the PDP and National Conference reported their Srinagar offices being sealed by authorities.
Srinagar: Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti said she and other senior party leaders have been placed under house arrest.
This action occurred on the fourth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370.
Not only PDP, National Conference (NC) on Saturday claimed that their office has been sealed as part of ‘clampdown’ on mainstream democratic activities organised by parties opposed to scrapping of Article 370.
Taking to twitter, Mufti said her house arrest comes after a midnight crackdown where scores of her party men were illegally detained.
“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. GOIs false claims about normalcy to the SC stands exposed by theirs actions driven by paranoia,” she tweeted.
The BJP is holding several programmes in Srinagar to celebrate the fourth anniversary of Article 370 abrogation.
“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 added.
On Friday, PDP said the Srinagar administration denied the party permission to hold an event on the fourth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370.
PDP spokesman said the party headquarters in Srinagar was sealed.
The NC claimed that its office in Srinagar has been sealed.
“True to form and in keeping with the clampdown on mainstream democratic activities organised by parties opposed to 5th August 2019, the JKNC office has been sealed by the police. No one is being allowed in or out of the office. These steps betray the nervousness of the administration & render hollow their claims regarding great improvements in the last four years,” NC spokesman said.
