‘Amit Shah going around Kashmir beating drums of normalcy, I am under house arrest,’ says Mehbooba Mufti

Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti said she was being prevented from travelling to Pattan in Baramulla district. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Baramulla and address a rally in the district on Wednesday.

Mehbooba Mufti during a press conference in Srinagar. (Express Photo: Shuaib Masoodi, File)

As Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a security review meeting at Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that she had been placed under house arrest at her residence at Srinagar’s Gupkar Road, allegedly to prevent her from travelling to Pattan in Baramulla district.

Mufti’s statement came on a day when Shah, who is on a three-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir, is scheduled to visit Baramulla and address a rally in the district. The Pattan area is part of the district where the home minister is expected to speak on Wednesday.

While HM is going around Kashmir beating drums of normalcy,I am under house arrest for simply wanting to visit Pattan for a worker’s wedding.If an ex CM’s fundamental rights can be suspended so easily, one cant even imagine the plight of a commoner.@AmitShah @manojsinha_ pic.twitter.com/5dYSfk8j1f

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 5, 2022

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister took to Twitter and posted a photo of locked gates to make her point, prompting the Srinagar Police to reply that no restrictions had been placed on her travel.

“While HM is going around Kashmir beating drums of normalcy, I am under house arrest for simply wanting to visit Pattan for a worker’s wedding. If an ex CM’s fundamental rights can be suspended so easily, one cant even imagine the plight of a commoner,” Mufti said on Twitter.

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Restrictions have been placed on the 50 km highway between Srinagar and Baramulla and routes have been diverted for regular travel.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah waves at supporters during a public rally, in Rajouri district, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha are also seen. (PTI Photo)

Meanwhile, responding to Mufti, Srinagar Police said that there were no restrictions on her travel. The police also said that the lock placed on her main gate was her own. “It is clarified that no restriction of any kind travel to pattan, travel to pattan was at 1 pm as intimated to us. The picture tweeted by her is of inside of the gate with own lock of residents who stay in the bunglow. There is no lock or any restrictions. She is free to travel.”

Also Read | Amit Shah says will give reservation to Gujjar, Bakarwal and Pahari communities in J&K

Mufti, who has been restricted from travelling to other parts of Kashmir on multiple occasions, said that Baramulla Superintendent of Police Rayees Mohammad Bhat had informed her on Tuesday night that she would not be allowed to travel to the district.

“I was informed last night by SP Baramulla @bhatray that I wouldn’t be allowed to travel to Pattan. Today @JmuKmrPolice have themselves locked my gates from inside & are now lying through their teeth. Sad that law enforcement agencies are brazenly trying to cover up their tracks,” Mufti further said on Twitter.

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