PDP leaders prevented from leaving home for party meeting
It was for the first time since the abrogation of Art 370 that the PDP had called a meeting of its office-bearers and leaders
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday did not allow several People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders to leave their homes for attending a party meeting here, its spokesman said.
It was for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 that the PDP had called a meeting of its senior office bearers and leaders. Many senior leaders, including PDP general secretary GN Hanjura, former education minister Naeem Akhtar, former legislator Ajaz Mir and former MLC Khurshi Alam were not allowed to move out of their homes by the police.
“Despite being free on paper and in government submissions in high court and Supreme Court, PDP leadership continues to be under illegal detention, without any official orders. I wasn’t allowed to attend the PDP meeting nor were any of my colleagues, “Akhtar tweeted. “Show us some order ... Or at least allow me to go on foot,” he can be seen pleading in a video to the policemen who respond saying there is no permission.
’Had to cancel our meeting’
PDP general secretary Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura said they had to cancel the meeting when most leaders were not allowed to move out of their homes. “They did not allow around 20 of our leaders and members to move out of homes saying that we are
under house arrest. We told them to show us some orders or give us something in writing because recently they told the court that no one is under detention in Kashmir,” Hanjura said.
He said they had written a letter to divisional commissioner and police top brass about four days ago informing about the meeting and seeking permission, however, no response came from the authorities. “These are double standards of the government. In the high court and SC they said that nobody is under detention but on ground they are targeting a particular political party,” he said. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, whose Twitter account is handled by her daughter Iltija Mufti, tweeted:“Shameful that J&K administration along with police physically prevented PDP leaders from leaving their homes in Srinagar. They shamelessly lie to courts that these people are free to move and then have the audacity to detain them illegally at home.”
“BJP & other parties are allowed to hold meetings. But for some reason, the same freedom isn’t given to PDP. GOIs claims of setting all political leaders in J&K free is as fake as their narrative of normalcy,” she tweeted. Calls to Kashmir divisional commissioner Pandurang K Pole and
IGP Vijay Kumar did not elicit any response.
“The government should come clean on whether someone is detained or not. The new struggle is to get the government to agree that a person is detained,” said People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone said.
CPIM leader MY Tarigami said the incident has once again exposed the “hollow claims” of the BJP government about normalcy in Kashmir, he said.
J&K Apni Party senior leader Mohammad Dilawar Mir said, “Rather than imposing autocratic decisions the government should facilitate an early resumption of the political process in J&K.”
{ MEHBOOBA MUFTI } PDP CHIEF ON TWITTER, DAUGHTER ILTIJA HANDLES HER ACCOUNT P BJP & other parties are allowed to hold meetings. But this freedom isn’t for PDP.