‘They Want Turmoil’: Farooq Abdullah Defends Leaders’ House Arrest Over Students’ Quota Protest

Srinagar : National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday defended the house arrest of its party MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and other leaders, saying they want to create “turmoil”, which will not be allowed.
Talking to reporters at Pahalgam in south Kashmir, Abdullah said the leaders were probably not happy that Jammu and Kashmir was on the path of progress.
“You should ask those leaders what they wanted to do. We are doing as much as we can. Perhaps, they do not like that the state is progressing. They want turmoil, which we will not allow to happen,” Abdullah said.
Authorities on Sunday placed several leaders including Mehdi, PDP MLA Waheed Para, former Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattoo and PDP leader Iltija Mufti under house arrest to prevent them from taking part in protests against the existing reservation policy.
On the situation in Bangladesh, the former chief minister expressed hope peaceful elections are held in the neighbouring country so that a new government is formed.

“We hope they (the new government) will tread the path of friendship (with India),” he added.

The leaders were put under house arrest after they expressed solidarity with students who planned to sit on a peaceful protest at Gupkar Road on Sunday and had announced their intention to join the agitation against the delay in rationalising the quota policy, a year after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah formed a committee to address the issue.
Para said it was unfortunate that the leaders had been placed under house arrest to prevent them from showing solidarity with the protesting students.
In a post on X, National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi posted on X on Saturday night that armed police have been deployed outside his residence. “Is this a pre-emptive crackdown to silence a peaceful, pro-student demonstration?” he posted. (Agencies)