Protest against delimitation not allowed, PAGD leaders locked up

Jan 4, 2022 | Kashmir Coverage (General News)

“Lawless Police state” is “deeply paranoid”: Omar, Mehbooba

SRINAGAR, Jan 01: The first day of the new year began in the Valley with the Jammu and Kashmir government placing top leaders of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) under house arrest.

Former CMs under house arrest
While those arrested included three former chief ministers, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, as well as PAGD spokesperson, MY Tarigami, some National Conference and PDP workers and leaders managed to take to the streets and staged a protest against the Delimitation Commission in Kashmir capital Srinagar.

Many members associated with Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) said that they have been placed under ‘house arrest’ ahead of the amalgam’s proposed protest against the “unconstitutional and divisive” draft proposal of Delimitation Commission.

Two PDP leaders were also arrested for taking out a protest demonstration through the streets of Srinagar.

Protest despite arrests
National Conference workers and leaders including former Speaker Mubarak Gul and Shameema Firdous assembled at National Conference Headquarters at Nawai Subah Srinagar and started a march through the interiors of Jehulm Bund that passed through All India Radio Srinagar Road amid sloganeering against the Delimitation Commission.

The protesting party leaders and workers alleged that under a well-planned conspiracy, the voice of people of Kashmir especially PAGD leaders is being stifled. They castigated the government for placing PAGD leaders especially Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah under house arrest.

The protesters raised slogans like ‘Delimitation Commission-hai, hai,’ ‘Jis Kashmir Ko Khoon Say Seencha, Woh Kashmir Hamara Hai’.

According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Youth wing of National Conference including its president Salman Sagar, Shameema Firdous and other workers and leaders assembled at party headquarters Nawa-e-Subah and carried a protest march against Delimitation Commission’s proposal and August 2019 decisions.

Meanwhile, NC senior leader, Chaudhary Mohd Ramzan while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the protest march said that authorities didn’t allow PAGD leaders to hold a peaceful protest.

“Keeping Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti under House arrest is improper decisions. We are against Delimitation Commission’s proposal and we condemn house arrest of PAGD leaders. In democracy everyone has freedom of right to expression,” he added.

He also said that they will never accept Delimitation Commission’s proposal as it is totally disempowering the Kashmir region.

National Conference leader Mubarak Gul said that it is very unfortunate that PAGD leaders were placed under house arrest and disallowed to carry out a peaceful protest. He said, “staging protests is a democratic right but the government in Jammu and Kashmir doesn’t like democratic activities and muzzles the voices of the people.”

He added that his party has rejected the proposed draft of the Delimitation Commission and won’t accept it.

Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party leaders also staged a separate protest against the abrogation of Article 370 and Delimitation Commission.

PDP workers and leaders led by Muhammad Yasin Bhat and Rouf Bhat assembled on Jehlum Bund and marched towards road. Police tried to stop them but the workers continued to raise slogans.

Bhat said that ‘hooliganism’ in Kashmir should be stopped and people should be allowed to breathe freely. “This muscle power won’t work and we will continue to raise our voice against the policies and measures which are anti-which are anti-people in nature,” he said.

2 PDP leaders arrested
Peoples Democratic Party youth leaders Arif Laigaroo and Najim u Saqib were arrested following the protest march by the party against delimitation commission proposal.

KNS said that PDP leaders today held a protest march, however, it was foiled by the police and two PDP leaders Arif Laigaroo and Najim u Saqib were arrested.
They said that Arif Laigaroo has been shifted to police station Shergari and Najim u Saqib has been shifted to police station Ram Munshi Bagh Srinagar.

The leaders of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration were put under house arrest on Saturday to prevent them from holding a proposed sit-in protest against delimitation draft recommendation.

PAGD leaders castigate govt
Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), PAGD spokesperson M Y Tarigami said that they have been put under house arrest and they have been locked from both inside and outside.

He said that this is the gift from the government on the New Year’s Eve and this the picture of Kashmir as government doesn’t even allow to hold a sit-in protest.

“I don’t even know that I was put under house arrest. Some cops came and informed that you are under arrest,” he said.

Meanwhile, former chief minister and National Conference vice-president, Omar Abdullah said that this is the new year with the same J-K police illegally locking people in their homes.

“Good morning & welcome to 2022. A new year with the same J-K police illegally locking people in their homes & an administration so terrified of normal democratic activity. Trucks parked outside our gates to scuttle the peaceful @JKPAGD sit-in protest. Some things never change,” he Tweeted.

In another Tweet, he said: “Talk about a lawless police state, the police have even locked the internal gate connecting my father’s home to my sister’s. Yet our leaders have the cheek to tell the world that India is the largest democracy, hah!!”

Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said that government of India was “deeply paranoid and intolerant when people of J-K want to protest against its disempowerment.”

“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,” Mehbooba said in a tweet.

In another tweet, she said, “I am also saddened by the tragic accident at Vaishno Devi & neither the administration the nor police are carrying out their duties. Instead they are engrossed in threatening people into silence. My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,” she added.

KT News Service | Kashmir Times