Kashmir an open air prison: Mehbooba Mufti after police stop press from entering her residence

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday claimed that police denied a press conference at her residence and added that Kashmir has become an “open air prison”. She said police in Srinagar stopped journalists from entering her residence for a press conference scheduled at 3 pm. This comes a day before the DDC polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mufti claimed in a tweet that police “barred” media personnel from entering her residence in Srinagar. “Press has been barred from entering my residence in Srinagar. This despite no written orders explaining my arbitrary detention. Kashmir is an open-air prison where no one has the right to express their opinion,” tweeted Mehbooba Mufti.

“We are one day away from DDC polling and its evident that the admin here is using fear and intimidation in tandem to muffle any form of opposition,” she added.

J&K police, however, said that Mehbooba Mufti was only stopped to go to Pulwama for security reasons. They also clarified that the PDP chief “is not under house arrest” and was only requested to postpone her visit to Pulwama.

Earlier in the day, Mufti said she was being detained at her residence along with her daughter Iltija Mufti in order to prevent them from visiting the house of arrested PDP leader Waheed Ur Rehman Parra in Pulwama.

“I’ve 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 and their puppets are allowed to move around in every corner of Kashmir but security is a problem only in my case,” she had tweeted.

“Their cruelty knows no bounds. Waheed was arrested on baseless charges and I am not allowed to even console his family. Even my daughter Iltija has been placed under house arrest because she also wanted to visit Waheed’s family,” she said.

“I’m going to hold a press conference at 3:00 pm today and will brief the press on various issues. Request media to kindly come,” Mufti added. However, it seems that the police are not allowing media personnel to enter the PDP leader’s house.

From the last few days, leaders of the Gupkar Alliance have been alleging that they were not being allowed to carry out poll-related activity while all facilities were being provided to the BJP candidates taking part in the polls.