Omar Abdullah alleges house arrest, J&K police deny any such orders

SRINAGAR: Amid the Supreme Court verdict on abrogation of Article 370, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has alleged that his house has been locked and he is not allowed to meet anyone. However, the Jammu and Kashmir police denied that no orders have been released to restrict any kind of movements.

“I am speaking to all of you like this as my house has been locked and I am not allowed to meet anyone. I wanted to give my reaction to the media on what happened in Supreme Court today, but the media is not allowed to come to my house and I am not allowed to step out from here”, Omar Abdullah said.

Earlier today, before the Supreme Court judgment on Article 370, J-K People’s democratic party on its official Twitter handle, also alleged that the party chief Mehbooba Mufti has been kept under house arrest. “Even before Supreme Court judgement is pronounced, Police has sealed the doors of the residence of PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and put her under illegal house arrest,” PDP said in a post on X.

The Jammu and Kashmir police, on its official Twitter handle, clarified that there are no orders to effect any kind of arrest or to restrict any kind of movement.

“It is to clarify that police have no orders to effect any kind of arrest, and certainly not connected with court proceedings including on Article 370 by the Apex Court. There are no restrictions on any movement. Examinations as scheduled by different public bodies are being held as scheduled, businesses are open and transport is plying. Common man’s normal life continues at its usual pace and police though alert about attempts of the handful always eager to disrupt peace has no intention or instructions to curtail this freedom of movement and activities”, Jammu and Kashmir police said in a post on X. “People are urged to go about their lives and not get hassled or intimidated by social media posts contrary to this”, it added.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Union government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and said that every decision taken by the Centre on behalf of a state can’t be subject to a legal challenge.

A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, and Surya Kant delivered the verdict.

CJI Chandrachud, reading out the judgment, said that every decision taken by the Centre on behalf of a state under proclamation can’t be subject to a legal challenge and it will lead to the administration of the state to a standstill.

The Supreme Court said that it has held that Article 370 was a temporary provision. “The proclamation of Maharaja stated that the Constitution of India will supersede. With this, the para of Instrument of Accession ceases to exist…. Article 370 was an interim arrangement due to war conditions in the State. Textual reading also indicates that Article 370 is a temporary provision”, the court said.

On August 5, 2019, the central government announced the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and split the region into two Union Territories. (ANI)