Srinagar, Dec 28: Several prominent political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have been placed under house arrest to prevent them from participating in a students’ protest against the existing reservation policy, sparking accusations of government suppression of peaceful dissent.
Among those detained are PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, her daughter Iltija Mufti, National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, PDP leader Waheed Para, and former Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattoo, according to officials.
The detentions came after these leaders publicly expressed support for students planning a peaceful demonstration at Gupkar Road on Sunday. The protest aims to pressure the government over delays in rationalizing the quota policy—an issue that remains unresolved a year after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah formed a committee to address student concerns.
National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi revealed on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday night that armed police had been deployed outside his residence. “Is this a pre-emptive crackdown to silence a peaceful, pro-student demonstration?” he questioned, criticizing the government’s heavy-handed approach.
PDP leader Waheed Para strongly condemned the house arrests, calling it unfortunate that leaders were being prevented from standing in solidarity with students. He accused the Omar Abdullah government of showing “zero intent” to resolve the reservation issue, describing it as an existential crisis for the younger generation.
“The reservation policy has become an existential issue that strikes at the very foundation of the future of our younger generations. It has been over a year since we, along with students, assembled outside CM Omar Abdullah’s residence,” Para wrote on X on Saturday night.
“Unfortunately, during this entire period, there has been absolutely zero intent on the part of the government towards resolving this issue, which has only compounded the uncertainty and anxiety shadowing our youth,” the Pulwama MLA added.
Para demanded that the reservation report be immediately released to the public, arguing there was no justification for withholding the findings of the Cabinet sub-committee formed by Abdullah. He insisted the report should be made public even if the recommendations were still awaiting approval from the lieutenant governor.
The ongoing deadlock over reservation policy has become a major political flashpoint in Jammu and Kashmir, with students and opposition leaders accusing the government of failing to address legitimate concerns about educational and employment opportunities for local youth.
