Kashmiri leaders contest government claim on house arrests

No one under such detention in Union Territory, Centre tells Lok Sabha

Sajad Lone, president, Peoples Conference tweeted, “What a sad state of affairs. Y do they have to do this?" File

The Centre told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that 223 people are under detention in Jammu and Kashmir and no one is under house arrest.

Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy said the government of Jammu and Kashmir has reported that in view of the constitutional changes effected by Parliament regarding the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir in August, 2019, various measures were taken to maintain public order which included preventive detention of certain persons. “As on 11.09.2020, 223 persons are under detention. No person is under house arrest in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr. Reddy told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Responding to the claims, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed ur Rehman Para said the Centre was lying and he continues to be under house arrest.

“It is unfortunate that after a year of detention they are telling us you were never detained. I still continue to remain under house arrest and the irony of the situation is that now the onus is on me to prove that I am not under house arrest. Peddling lies in the temple of democracy has shamed the entire country. From a cop deployed at my house to the MoS in Parliament all are lying. Who do we complain to?” Mr. Para told The Hindu . He said 11 political workers of the PDP were also under house arrest.

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Former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti continues to be detained under the Public Safety Act .

Sajad Lone, president, Peoples Conference tweeted, “What a sad state of affairs. Y do they have to do this. If someone is under house arrest. Just say it. Either the state administration is lying to the Union govt or it is the Union govt’s own initiative. We live here. We r telling u. People r under house arrest.”

Congress leader Salman Anees Soz, son of former Union Minister Saifuddin ,Soz said the “government lies to Parliament blatantly”.

Mr. Reddy also said the number of terrorist incidents has reduced significantly after the bifurcation of the erstwhile state on August 5 last year.

From June 29, 2018 to August 4, 2019 (402 days), there were 455 terror incidents and from August 5, 2019 to September 9 (402 days), 211 such incidents took place in the newly created Union Territory.