The PAGD had proposed a peaceful protest in Srinagar on Saturday against the proposal of the Delimitation Commission to increase the seats to six in Jammu division and one in Kashmir.
Political leaders, including three former chief ministers, were detained before the march by the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) in protest against the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission.
National Conference vice-president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, “Good morning and welcome to 2022. A new year with the same JK Police illegally locking people in their homes and an administration so far from normal democratic activity. is terrified.”
“Trucks were parked outside our gate to stop the peaceful @JKPAGD sit-in. Some things never change,” he said.
Mr Abdullah, whose father and veteran politician Farooq Abdullah heads the PAGD, claimed, “Talk about a chaotic police state, the police also closed the inner gate connecting my father’s house to my sister’s house.” Yet our leaders have the cheeks to tell the world that India is the largest democracy, ha!!”
Senior CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami, who is the spokesperson of the coalition, said it was sad that the J&K administration was “afraid of even allowing peaceful protests”.
“This is where the situation gets worse when people are not allowed to express their opinion in front of the public,” he said.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was also placed under house arrest. “There is also a truck parked outside my house,” he said.
The PAGD had proposed a peaceful protest in Srinagar on Saturday against the proposal of the Delimitation Commission to increase the seats to six in Jammu division and one in Kashmir. This would have increased the number of seats in Jammu to 43 and in Kashmir to 47.
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