Former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are believed to have been put under house arrest. Details are awaited. According to the authorities, restrictions under Section 144 CrPC in District Srinagar will come into effect from 12 midnight and will remain in force till further orders. Here is Omar’s tweet several minutes’ back-
I believe I’m being placed under house arrest from midnight tonight & the process has already started for other mainstream leaders. No way of knowing if this is true but if it is then I’ll see all of you on the other side of whatever is in store. Allah save us 🙏🏼
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 4, 2019
Lal Chowk at 12 midnight, 5th August, 2019. Photo:twitter/@waseem_andrabi
We have this earlier report from Srinagar:
As the people of Jammu and Kashmir are in panic over the government’s call for tourists and Amarnath yatris to leave the state immediately, the People’s Democratic Party chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti asked Narendra Modi on the statement uttered by PM for Kashmiris and said “Kahan gayi insaniyat, kashmiriyat aur jamhooriyat?”
Evacuate yatris, tourists, labourers, students & cricketers. Willingly create a sense of panic & distress but don’t bother giving Kashmiris a sense of relief or security.
Kahan gayi insaniyat, kashmiriyat aur jamhooriyat? https://t.co/Y45AxiMwwq— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 4, 2019
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah said, abrogation of Article 35A would be an aggression against the people of the state and hence all regional parties have unanimously resolved to fight any attempt to abrogate the constitutional provisions that guarantee special status to the state.
Coming out of an all-party meet in Srinagar, the National Conference leader said, regional leaders would meet President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise them about the consequences of any attempt to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution, or carry out delimitation of constituencies or trifurcating the state.
Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Home secretary Rajiv Gauba and NSA Ajit Doval in his office in Parliament. The situation is also likely to be discussed at the Union Cabinet meeting to be held tomorrow morning.
Shah will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir for three days after Parliamentary session. Amit Shah will be participating in BJP’s program in Kashmir as well as oversee preparations for the assembly elections.
J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik said, “Nothing will be done secretly. Whatever will happen would not happen secretly. It will come to Parliament and will be discussed… Parliament is in session. Wait till Monday or Tuesday”.
“Things are normal here, only rumour mongering is going on. Unnecessary panic is being created by some political parties, says Malik.
But even as the Government continues to claim that nothing serious was going to happen and people should maintain calm, but the back to back official orders are adding more to the panic and fear prevailing across Kashmir over the past few days.
Ever since the order about deployment of additional forces from the Centre was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Kashmir is under the tight grip of fear, witnesses and locals from various places said.
The people have been busy in buying lifesaving drugs, filling their vehicles with the petrol, buying vegetables in large quantities amid rumours that either trifurcation of the State was on cards or some big political decision was to be taken by New Delhi. There were rumours that policemen have been asked to deposit their weapons at BB Cant, but this was out rightly rejected by the ADGP law and order Munir Khan, who termed it as “baseless and a rumour.”
The former J&K Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah tweeted this just half an hour back:
Hearing reports about internet being snapped soon including cellular coverage. Curfew passes being issued too. God knows what awaits us tomorrow. It’s going to be a long night.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 4, 2019
If officers in the state government are to be believed mobile internet is going down now, an unofficial curfew is going to start & mainstream leaders are going to be detained. No idea who to believe & where this is heading.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 4, 2019
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