Mehbooba Mufti under house arrest; questions ‘normalcy’ in J&K

Source : Hindustan Times

Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said that she has been put under house arrest adding that the move “exposes the fake claims of normalcy” in the valley by the central government. “GOI expresses concern for the rights of Afghan people but wilfully denies the same to Kashmiris. Ive been placed under house arrest today because according to admin the situation is far from normal in Kashmir. This exposes their fake claims of normalcy,” Mufti said in her tweet while posting locked gates of her Gupkar home Fairview on the Twitter.

Police spokesperson refused to respond to Mehbooba’s allegations. Mufti had, on Monday, lashed out at the government for not allowing separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani family to conduct his last rites.

“Its right of the family members to conduct last rites of a person. Here the government didn’t allow family members to conduct last rites, instead the family members of Geelani were beaten especially women and also cases slapped against them. India is a very big country and this is against its culture. This country is respected across world for its democracy and in democracy everybody has right to put their perspective,” she tweeted.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police, however, had said that Geelani’s sons agreed to bury their father at night, and only changed their mind later. The 91-year-old separatist leader died on Wednesday and was buried at a graveyard in Hyderpora. His family members alleged that police “snatched” his body, forcibly buried it, and thrashed them.

Meanwhile, mobile internet was restored in Srinagar and Budgam districts on Tuesday evening, six days after Geelani’s death. With this development the internet -mobile as well as broadband- stands restored across the Valley.

Authorities had imposed a clampdown across Kashmir after Geelani’s death on the evening of September 1..

Earlier on Tuesday, top police brass informed about the restoration and also regretted for the loss in education.

“Mobile internet will be open in Srinagar & Budgam today by 7pm. Regret inconvenience caused to students in studies, “ IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said in a tweet.

The clampdown on internet had affected the online classes of students across the valley.

“The internet was suspended when we were in full flow completing the syllabus. Final exams of students are just a month and a half away. The restoration of internet has come as a great relief, “ said Tahira Akhtar, a teacher.