Omar, Mehbooba claim under 'house arrest' ahead of SC verdict on Article 370; admin denies
Srinagar/Jammu (PTI): Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti Monday claimed they were put under house arrest ahead of the Supreme Court's verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that conferred a special status on Jammu and Kashmir.
However, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the police said no one was put under house arrest or arrested.
"Even before the Supreme Court judgement is pronounced, police have sealed the doors of the residence of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and put her under illegal house arrest," the PDP said in a post on X.
The party claimed the PDP officer near Sher-e-Kashmir Park here was also "sealed" by the police.
A National Conference (NC) leader said the main gate of the party president Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah's residence was locked by the police in the morning.
"Omar Abdullah has been locked up in his house. Democracy?" NC's additional state spokesperson Sara Hayat Shah said in a post on X.
She also posted pictures of the locked gate of the Abdullah residence on the microblogging platform.
Police did not allow journalists to gather near the residence at Gupkar here, officials said.
A posse of police personnel was deployed at the entry point of Gupkar Road and journalists were not allowed anywhere near the residence of the NC leaders.
Omar Abdullah lives with his father after he vacated his official residence in October 2020.
While Farooq Abdullah, who is a Member of Parliament from Srinagar, is in Delhi for the ongoing Parliament session, his son is in the valley.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the news of house arrest or arrest of anyone ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 is "totally baseless".
Police also said no person was under house arrest.
"No person has been put under house arrest," Srinagar Police said in a post on X.
However, responding to the LG's statement, Omar Abdullah said either the LG was "being dishonest" or the police were acting independently of him.
"Dear Mr LG these chains that have been put on my gate have not been put by me so why are you denying what your police force has done? It's also possible you don't even know what your police are doing. Which one is it? Are you being dishonest or is your police acting independently of you?" the NC vice president said in a post on X.
He also shared pictures of the locked gate of the residence.
PDP president's daughter, and her media advisor, Iltija Mufti also responded to the police's claim that no one was under house arrest.
"Count the number of locks. Why don't you allow the media to come & see for themselves if we are under house arrest or not? Srinagar Police or Pinocchio?" Iltija Mufti said in a post on X.
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BJP workers protest Bengaluru event on Umar Khalid, taken into preventive custody
Bengaluru (PTI): BJP workers, led by former Bengaluru Mayor M Gautham Kumar, staged a protest outside the heavily fortified BIC in the city on Tuesday ahead of an event.
The editors of the book “Umar Khalid and His World” have planned a reading of excerpts from the book at the venue, followed by a discussion involving several “historians and intellectuals”.
The BJP activists raised slogans demanding the cancellation of the event. They attempted to enter the venue by breaking through the barricades put up by the police.
Police personnel deployed at the spot took the BJP workers into preventive custody.
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The party had on Monday petitioned Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh seeking cancellation of the event organised in support of activist Umar Khalid.
A delegation of BJP leaders led by Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan met the commissioner and submitted a memorandum in this regard.
Khalid is currently in jail in connection with allegations of conspiracy in the 2020 Delhi riots.
In a post on ‘X’ earlier in the day, the Karnataka BJP alleged that while courts are still hearing cases related to anti-national activities, the Congress-backed ecosystem is busy glorifying individuals who aim to divide Bharat.
“Why is Bengaluru being turned into a hub for celebrating such elements? Is this the ‘cultural contribution’ the Siddaramaiah government wants to promote? Our city is a land of innovators and patriots, not a playground for the ‘Tukde Tukde’ (divisive) narrative,” it alleged.
The Supreme Court on April 20 dismissed Khalid’s plea seeking review of a verdict denying him bail, observing that there are reasonable grounds to believe the allegations against him in connection with the conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.
The court had earlier said there was a prima facie case against Khalid and Sharjeel Imam (another accused) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), noting that prosecution material suggests their involvement in the “planning, mobilisation, and strategic direction” of the riots.
The February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi broke out during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), leaving 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
