Srinagar, Feb 14 (UNI) National Conference (NC) on Sunday said the house detention of its President and sitting MP Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah is arbitrary and gross intrusion of fundamental rights.



Omar Abdullah earlier in the day claimed that he and his family, including his father and sitting MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah, have been put under house arrest since early Sunday morning.

“Confining party leaders to their homes exposes the iron fist approach towards Jammu and Kashmir. The measure is the gross violation of human rights and is highly condemnable. Previously also at various instances, the leaders were debarred from moving out from their residences exclusive of any reason. The undue measure marks a new low in the curtailment of fundamental rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir. The measures reveals abnormal is the new normal in this part of the world,” NC leaders said in a joint statement issued here on Sunday.



They said such harsh and unwarranted measures would further alienate the people and delay restoration of normalcy in Kashmir, which has been reeling under fear psychosis and a sense of insecurity since August, 2019.



They alleged that the development has marked a new and dangerous low in the centre’s Kashmir policy, adding the disdain with the political leaders who kept the political process alive in Kashmir braving all odds and threats was appalling. “The amorality of the government’s treatment towards mainstream leaders is certainly dispiriting, but dangerous as well on account of the political vacuum it will create. Having a sitting MP, former chief minister and former union minister Dr Farooq Sahib's stature confined will prove a bad bet. Therefore we impress upon the incumbent government to refrain from such bullish and high-handed measures,” they added.

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