On 11th December (Monday), the Supreme Court, while announcing its judgement on petitions related to the Abrogation of Article 370, upheld the Centre’s decision from August 2019. However, hours before the pronouncement of the judgement, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah alleged that they had been put under house arrest, a claim that has been categorically denied by the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Srinagar Police.
The Jammu and Kashmir-based leaders had claimed that the police had illegally locked them up inside their homes before the Supreme Court was set to deliver its verdict on Article 370.
Alleging that Mehbooba Mufti’s doors had been sealed, PDP tweeted, “Even before Supreme Court judgement is pronounced, Police has sealed the doors of the residence of PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and put her under illegal house arrest.”
Even before Supreme Court judgement is pronounced, Police has sealed the doors of the residence of PDP President @MehboobaMufti and put her under illegal house arrest. pic.twitter.com/Ts2T7yFMrE
— J&K PDP (@jkpdp) December 11, 2023
Likewise, the National Conference, in a tweet, said, “Early this morning, JKNC VP Omar Abdullah was locked up inside his house. What a shame!”
Early this morning, JKNC VP @OmarAbdullah was locked up inside his house. What a shame! pic.twitter.com/tZRQnDIcn1
— JKNC (@JKNC_) December 11, 2023
However, J&K LG Manoj Sinha refuted their allegations terming it “baseless”. Reacting to their claims, the LG said, “This is totally baseless. No one has been put under house arrest or arrested due to political reasons in Jammu and Kashmir. It is an attempt to spread rumours.”
#WATCH | On reports of J&K leaders put under house arrest ahead of SC verdict on abrogation of Art 370, LG Manoj Sinha says, "This is totally baseless. No one has been put under house arrest or arrested due to political reasons in J&K. It is an attempt to spread rumours." pic.twitter.com/CHvRh28Pu1
— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2023
Additionally, the Srinagar Police took to their official handle and denied the allegations of PDP and NC leaders’ house arrest. The Police asserted, “No person has been put under house arrest.”
No person has been put under house arrest.
— Srinagar Police (@SrinagarPolice) December 11, 2023
In another post, the Srinagar Police asked the common public to desist from spreading misinformation and rumour-mongering on social media.
The post read, “Common public is appealed to desist from posting/sharing/propagating instigative/provocative content, misinformation & rumour mongering across social media platforms.”
However, despite the categorical denial of their allegations by LG and Srinagar Police, NC leader Omar Abdullah repeated the claims of being locked in his own house.
Dear Mr LG these chains that have been put on my gate have not been put by me so why are you denying what your police force has done. It’s also possible you don’t even know what your police is doing? Which one is it? Are you being dishonest or is your police acting independent of… https://t.co/HFr2bLr7EP pic.twitter.com/b4Xye8RnoJ
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 11, 2023
Azad Sb is truly Azad. He’s free to visit his party office while some of us are locked up with our gates chained. Media personnel aren’t being allowed on Gupkar road to take any reactions from us. Mother of democracy? More like aise taise Democracy. https://t.co/RmfJoo6SpE
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 11, 2023
Reacting to media reports in which Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad gave his response to the SC verdict on Article 370, Abdullah further claimed that media persons have not been allowed to take his reaction.
Notably, on 5th August 2019, several Jammu and Kashmir-based leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah, and other Kashmiri leaders were kept under house arrest.
Subsequently in the afternoon, the Centre passed bills to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union Territories (UTs) — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh which has been upheld by the Supreme Court in its verdict today.
