Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday claimed that that she has been put under house arrest. Two other party leaders, Najmu Saqib and Syed Suhail Bukhari, have also been put under house arrest, she said in a tweet.
On Wednesday, Mufti had led a protest in Jammu against the killings of two civilians during an anti-militancy operation in Hyderpora in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Peoples Democratic Party claimed that when she returned to Srinagar later in the day, the police stopped her from going to Press Colony, where families of the two civilians, Mohammad Altaf Bhat and Mudasir Gul, were holding protests.
The families of the two men have been demanding that their bodies be handed over to them. The family members were detained during a protest on Wednesday and released on Thursday morning.
On Thursday, Mufti alleged that the Centre’s narrative on the matter was “based on lies”.
“They don’t want to be held accountable for their actions & that’s why they are muzzling voices that speak up against such injustice & atrocities,” she wrote on Twitter. “The pattern of using innocent civilians as human shields & then denying their families the right to a decent burial shows that GOI [government of India] has plumbed new depths of inhumanity.”
There were reports about Mufti having been placed under house arrest on Wednesday as well. However, a senior Jammu and Kashmir Police official denied the claim, according to ANI.
Meanwhile, National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah led a sit-in protest on Thursday demanding that the bodies of those who were killed in the Hyderpora gunfight should be handed over to their families.
The party claimed that authorities have told the family members of those who were killed that they would return the dead bodies to them, and that Abdullah subsequently called off the protest.
The People’s Conference also held a protest in Srinagar’s Hyderpora area, the Greater Kashmir reported.
Earlier on Thursday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration ordered a magisterial inquiry into the gunfight in Hyderpora.
“[The] government will take suitable action as soon as report is submitted in a time-bound manner,” the office of Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha tweeted. “J&K administration reiterates commitment of protecting lives of innocent civilians and it will ensure there is no injustice.”
ED summons Mufti’s brother
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has summoned Mehbooba Mufti’s brother Tasadduq Hussain Mufti for questioning in a money laundering case, PTI reported on Thursday.
Tasadduq Hussain Mufti had served as the tourism minister in the previous Mehbooba Mufti’s Cabinet when she served as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation pertains to funds that he allegedly received from some Kashmir-based businesses.
Mehbooba Mufti told reporters that the summons was an act of vendetta.
“The moment I raise my voice against any wrongdoing, there is a summon waiting for someone from my family,” she said. “This time, it was my brother.”
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!