Mehbooba Mufti, Others Placed Under House Arrest In J&K On Article 370 Anniversary

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and other leaders in Jammu and Kashmir were placed under 'house arrest' on the fourth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. Mehbooba Mufti's Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party had sought permission to hold a seminar, but the administration denied the request.

Mufti took to Twitter to express her frustration, stating that she and other senior PDP leaders were put under house arrest, and many of her party members were illegally detained in police stations. She criticised the government's claims of normalcy while using brute force to suppress the sentiments of the people.

The PDP had sought permission to hold a seminar or discussion with the general public to mark the occasion of the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A. However, the permission was denied without any reason being given. On the other hand, the BJP was allowed to hold an event at Jawahar Nagar Park and a rally from Nehru Park to the SKICC to "celebrate" the abrogation of the two Articles.

Mehbooba Mufti accused the BJP government of giving a free run for celebrating the "illegal" abrogation of Article 370, claiming it is being done to deceive public opinion in the country. She criticized the administration's dual and dubious approach and labeled it a facade of normalcy to justify their actions.

The abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, occurred on August 5, 2019, when the state was bifurcated into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.