J&K leaders stopped from attending meeting at Farooq Abdullah's residence

Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday foiled a meeting of mainstream political leaders in Srinagar scheduled to be held at Gupkar residence of National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah as no participant was allowed to reach the venue.

The meeting had been called at Abdullah's posh residence Gupkar, where last year on August 4 ‘Gupkar declaration’ was forged collectively by all the Jammu and Kashmir parties vowing to protect the special status of the erstwhile state.

Eyewitnesses told DH that the road leading to the residence of Abdullah was sealed with pools of concertina wire and no movement was allowed. The leaders who were scheduled to attend the meeting said they had been placed under house detention and were asked not to venture out of their homes.

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The meeting had been called by Abdullah, also a former chief minister of J&K, to chalk out “political strategy on Article 370” which was abrogated by the central government last year on this day.

Besides the NC, the leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress, CPI (M) and other smaller parties had been invited for the crucial meeting, which was being held on the first anniversary of abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370.

A police official said that section 144 remains in place across Srinagar and no violation of the same law would be allowed.

While questioning the rationale behind scuttling the meeting, octogenarian Abdullah said, “They (BJP government) claim a political process has started in Kashmir, but not a single leader was allowed to reach my residence (for the meeting).”

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He said all the participants, who were supposed to attend the meeting, have been placed under house arrest.

CPI (M) leader and former legislator, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said he was asked not to venture out of his home today. “Is this the normalcy which the government is talking about How can you claim normalcy when the leaders are not even being allowed to meet,” he told DH over the phone.

NC vice-president Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to vent his anger. While sharing pictures of barricaded Gupkar road, he tweeted: “One year on, this is Gupkar road today - police vehicles opposite our gates, concertina wire strung across the road at regular intervals & no vehicles allowed. My father had called a meeting of leaders of MAINSTREAM parties to deliberate on the current situation.”

In another tweet, while sharing pictures of BJP members celebrating the first anniversary of abrogation of Article 370, he said, “BJP displaying its hypocrisy. They can gather & celebrate. The rest of us can’t even meet to discuss what’s happening in J&K.”