Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief among senior Congress leaders put under house arrest

Jammu and Kashmir Congress President G A Mir and several other senior leaders were placed under house arrest here on Tuesday ahead of their planned visit to parts of Jammu region and south Kashmir, according to a party leader.

Mir along with former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and senior vice president and former minister Raman Bhalla was placed under house arrest in Jammu this morning, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief spokesperson Ravinder told PTI.

He said several other former legislators, ministers and youth leaders were also directed not to move out of their houses by police.

Police officials were not immediately available for a confirmation.

Talking to PTI, Mir said, "We decided to visit parts of Jammu region and South Kashmir and sent a formal request to the government. We were granted permission. But this morning, when we were supposed to leave for the visit, police was there at my house and the houses of other leaders. They told us that we are under house arrest".

A party delegation under his leadership was supposed to visit different areas including Udhampur, Ramban and south Kashmir to interact with party workers, he said.

"Police and government should have sent a formal letter to us for denial of permission, when we had written to them," he said.

Condemning the administration for the action, Sharma said "on the one hand, the government is making claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir and on the other they are not allowing the opposition to undertake political activity. Their claim of normalcy is hollow." "One fails to understand why BJP leaders are allowed to move freely, while curbs are being put on the opposition to keep them away from the public," he said.