Srinagar, Jan 1: Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday 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, adding, “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.
Earlier 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.
PAGD spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami told GNS that police have closed gates of his premise at “midnight.
“Gates have been closed midnight. They have told security personnel and other staff (deployed at my premises) to inform me not to leave premises,” Tarigami said, adding, “We had decided to hold peaceful protest today against unconstitutional and divisive draft of Delimitation Commission. We wanted to register a protest.”
Former Chief Minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah also took to twitter and said that police “trucks have been parked outside their gates to scuttle the peaceful protest.
“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,” Omar said, adding, “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!!”
The PAGD in its maiden meeting at Jammu had announced protest in Srinagar on January 1 against the draft proposal of Delimitation Commission.
PAGD had a meeting at the Jammu residence of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on December 21 last and discussed the draft proposal. The meeting was chaired by Farooq Abdullah and attended by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, CPI (M) general secretary Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, Awami National Conference vice-president Muzuffar Shah and other political leaders of alliance constituents.
Later, the PAGD held a press conference in which they rejected the draft proposal and termed the same an act to divide people on the basis of religion and groups.
“The Alliance leadership wants peace and not confrontation. For the legitimate rights of people, we will be raising our voice peacefully. On January 1, we will be holding peaceful protest in Srinagar against the proposal of Delimitation Commission which is unacceptable and divisive to all of us and all people and all communities,” Tarigami, who was flanked by top leaders of alliance, had said.
PAGD spokesman further said that delimitation should have happened along with the entire country, as per fresh census, but the “BJP’s plan is to divide people on religion and regional lines.”