Jammu & Kashmir

All-Party meet scheduled by Farooq Abdullah scuttled, roads leading to Gupkar ‘sealed’

Gupkar Declaration, 2019.

‘Tall claims that the political process has started fall flat’

‘No leader was allowed to reach my house’

Srinagar: Authorities on Wednesday clamped down on a crucial meeting of political leaders at incumbent parliamentarian Farooq Abdullah’s Gupkar residence in Srinagar.

No political leader was allowed to reach Abdullah’s house.

Sources said that the road leading to the residence of former Chief Minister was sealed with barricades and concertina wires.

The leaders from different political parties including Congress, CPI (M), PDP, JKPM, PDF and others were scheduled to attend the crucial meeting today, which was being held a year after the abrogation of Article 370.

However, the leaders who were scheduled to attend the meeting said that they have been put under house detention and have been asked not to venture out of their homes.

In response to this, CPI (M) senior leader and former MLA Kulgam, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami said asked the government to prove normalcy as everything is under curbs in Kashmir, particularly in Srinagar city.

“How can you claim normalcy when the leaders are not even being allowed to hold a meeting,” he said.

He said he was scheduled to attend the meeting today, but, was asked not to venture out of his home today.

Abdullah said that he has heard that all the participants who were supposed to attend the meeting have been placed under house arrest.

“They claim political process has started in Kashmir, but not a single leader was allowed to reach my residence,” the National Conference president said.

A police official said that section 144 remains in place across Srinagar and no violation of the same law would be allowed.

NC vice-president Omar Abdullah took to his twitter handle to vent his anger and wrote: “one year on, this is Gupkar road today – police vehicles opposite our gates, concertina wire strung across the road at regular intervals and no vehicles allowed. My father had called a meeting of leaders of MAINSTREAM parties to deliberate on the current situation.”

In another tweet, he wrote: “clearly the meeting is not being allowed to go ahead. The BJP gets to announce a 15-day celebration to mark 5th Aug & a handful of us aren’t allowed to meet in my father’s lawn. So much for BJP national leaders wondering why there is no political activity.”

In another tweet, the former chief minister of erstwhile State of JK wrote: “One year later the authorities are still too afraid to allow us to meet much less carry out any normal political activity. This fear speaks volumes about the true situation on the ground in Kashmir.”

(Syndicated feed from KNO)

 

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