STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar/Jammu: Mainstream politicians from Kashmir on Monday shared pictures of chains and locks on gates, alleging that they were under house arrest, a claim rejected by J-K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha as a war of words broke out on a day the Supreme Court upheld the validity of abrogation of Article 370.
Early Monday, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on X alleged that “even before the Supreme Court judgement is pronounced, police have sealed the doors of the residence of PDP president @MehboobaMufti and put her under illegal house arrest”.
Following the statement, Sinha at a press conference in Jammu denied the claim and said “no one has been put under house arrest or arrest in all of Jammu and Kashmir”.
“These claims are completely baseless and an attempt to spread rumours,” the Lt Governor (LG) said and stressed that he was speaking responsibly and confirming that no one had been subjected to house arrest or arrest for political reasons anywhere in the Union Territory.
While Farooq Abdullah, who is the MP from Srinagar, is currently in Delhi for the ongoing Winter session of Parliament, his son Omar Abdullah is in Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police issued a cautiously worded statement, clarifying that no arrest orders had been issued in relation to the Supreme Court proceedings concerning Article 370, and that there were no restrictions on movement.
“The police have not received any orders to effect any arrests, particularly those related to court proceedings on Article 370 by the apex court,” it said.
“There are no restrictions on movement. Examinations scheduled by different public bodies are proceeding as planned, businesses are open, and transportation is operating,” the statement said. Police emphasised that the normal life of the common people continued at its usual pace. “While the police remain vigilant against disruptive elements, they have no intention or instructions to curtail freedom of movement and activities,” the Jammu and Kashmir Police asserted in the statement.
The police urged people to carry on with their daily lives and not be influenced or intimidated by social media posts contradicting this information.
