Detained again, alleges Mehbooba Mufti; says daughter under house arrest

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday (November 27) alleged that she has been “illegally detained” again and her daughter Iltija put under house arrest, when they tried visiting the family of PDP youth wing president Waheed Parra, who was arrested by NIA on Wednesday (November 25) in a terror case.

“Ive been illegally detained yet again. Since two days, J&K admin has refused to allow me to visit @parawahid’s family in Pulwama. BJP Ministers & their puppets are allowed to move around in every corner of Kashmir but security is a problem only in my case,” she tweeted.

Mufti, was released on October 14, after spending 14 months in detention along with hundreds of leaders from the state including former chief minister Farooq and Omar Abdullah. She was detained when the Centre abrogated Article 370 and divided Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories on August 5, last year.

Related news: PDP youth wing chief arrested in terror case; ‘falsely accused,’ says Mufti

Through a series of tweets, Mufti alleged Waheed was arrested on baseless charges and said her daughter Iltija who wanted to visit the youth leader’s family has also been placed under house arrest.

She shared photos of orders from the Directorate of Special Security Group, Jammu and Kashmir, which sought to “re-schedule” her “tour programme” to Waheed’s house in Naira Pulwama on Friday.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested Waheed, a close aide of Mufti for alleged links in a terror case that had the involvement of Hizbul Mujahudeen commander Naveed Babu.

Waheed was supposed to contest the District Development Council (DDC) polls, the first phase of which is scheduled on November 28, from Pulwama and had already filed his nomination.

PDP has called his arrest by “using the NIA,” a political move by the BJP to handicap its participation in the DDC polls.

“Waheed’s arrest signals the level of depravity to which the BJP and RSS can go in targeting and damaging its political opponents. These actions of New Delhi will not deter the PDP. Our actions and our voices will become louder,” the party had said in a statement.

Related news: Gupkar alliance contesting DDC polls stirs Kashmir politics

The DDC elections, which will see the direct election of representatives to districts councils, is being read as a move by the BJP to consolidate its power in Kashmir, where it is weaker when compared to Jammu, and replace local leaders with its own representatives. However, the decision of major regional parties under the collective of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to contest in the elections has been dubbed a dampener for the BJP as it will foil its plans for the state.