Srinagar, Dec 28: As open merit students in Kashmir announced a sit-in against the government’s alleged failure to rationalise the reservation policy, the Police on Saturday foiled the march while locking Sher-e-Kashmir Park, where they were scheduled to protest.
Leaders that included National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament, Aga Syed Ruhullah, People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s Iltija Mufti and MLA Pulwama Waheed-ur-Rehman Para claimed that they had been placed under house detention.
Since Sunday morning, a heavy deployment of Police and paramilitary forces was witnessed in Srinagar and the gates of Sher-e-Kashmir Park were locked amid the presence of armed personnel.
Ruhullah, Iltija, and Para said Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed outside their residences to prevent them from joining the protest.
Former Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) mayor Junaid Mattoo was also placed under house detention.
“Armed Police have been deployed outside the residence of Hon’ble MP@RuhullahMehdi,” Ruhullah’s office said in a post on microblogging site ‘X’, sharing pictures of Police vehicles stationed outside his home.
Questioning the move, the post asked whether it was a “pre-emptive crackdown to silence a peaceful, pro-student demonstration” and said plans for the protest would continue.
“Like many others, I’ve also been placed under house arrest at Srinagar today. The insecurity and paranoia of the security agencies know no bounds. This is the ‘normalcy’ in Naya Kashmir. An entire contingent of female Police personnel is deputed at the gate to physically stop me. Care to explain under what grounds @JmuKmrPolice?” Iltija Mufti said in a post on ‘X’.
The PDP also confirmed that Para had been placed under house detention.
“In the middle of the night, @parawahid has been put under house arrest. Why is a peaceful protest for students’ rights being weaponised?” the party said in a post on ‘X’.
Open merit students, who have been protesting for over a year, have demanded a review of the existing reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Under the current framework, over 60 percent of seats are reserved for various categories, leaving less than 40 percent for Open Merit candidates.
Both the NC and PDP had promised rationalisation of reservations in their election manifestos. Following sustained pressure from students and party leaders, the NC-led government constituted a Cabinet Sub-committee to examine the issue.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said the cabinet has approved the panel’s recommendations and forwarded the file to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Ruhullah, who had joined students in a sit-in protest last year, reiterated his support for the agitation earlier this week.
“I have neither forgotten nor left the students alone,” he said, urging the government to engage with students and explain the steps taken to resolve the issue.
Para, who has termed the reservation policy an “existential issue” for the younger generation, accused the government of lacking intent to address the matter.
He demanded that the reservation report be made public and said institutions like the offices of the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor must remain accountable.
Police have also reportedly detained several youth leaders involved in organising the protest, even as students reiterated their demand for immediate action on the rationalisation of reservations.