Mehbooba placed under house arrest, questions JK admin's normalcy claim

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was put under house detention on Tuesday and she claimed that the decision of Jammu and Kashmir authorities to restrain her movement had "exposed the government's claims of normalcy".

She also hit out at the Centre alleging that while the government was expressing concern for the rights of the people in Afghanistan, the same were being denied to Kashmiris.

"I've been placed under house arrest today because according to admin (administration) the situation is far from normal in Kashmir. This exposes their fake claims of normalcy," Mehbooba, who is the last chief minister of the erstwhile state, tweeted.

"GOI expresses concern for the rights of Afghan people but wilfully denies the same to Kashmiris," she added.

Mehbooba posted pictures of a security forces' vehicle blocking the main gate of her Gupkar residence. According to officials, Mehbooba had expressed a desire to attend a family function in South Kashmir's highly volatile Kulgam district.

The authorities persuaded her not to go for the function as some anti-nationals were still trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the valley following the death of pro-Pakistan separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Mehbooba has been vocal since his death and on Monday she accused the administration of turning the valley into "an open-air prison" where "the dead aren't spared". "A family isn't allowed to mourn and bid a final farewell as per their wishes. Booking Geelani Sahab's family under UAPA shows GOI's deep-rooted paranoia and ruthlessness. This is New India's Naya Kashmir," she tweeted.

However, hours later, the Jammu and Kashmir Police released videos of the funeral of Geelani, who died on September 1 at his home after a prolonged illness. He was 91.

A statement was also released by the police clocking events after his death, saying that its officers were made to wait for three hours at the separatist's home when they went there for his burial.

Refuting rumors allegedly being floated from across the border, the Jammu and Kashmir Police also released four videos through its Twitter handle to show that Geelani was laid to rest as per rituals in the intervening night of September 1 and 2.

"After the death of SAS Geelani, IGP Kashmir Shri Vijay Kumar met both of his sons at their residence at 11 pm, condoled them, and requested for burial in the night for the larger interest of the general public due to potential major L&O (law and order) situations. Both agreed and asked to wait for two hours until relatives reached," the police said on its Twitter handle.

The IGP Kashmir personally spoke to a few relatives and assured them of safe passage, they said. "However, 3 hours later, probably under the pressure from Pakistan and miscreants, they behaved differently and started resorting to anti-national activities, including wrapping the dead body in the Pakistani flag, making loud sloganeering in favor of Pakistan and instigating neighbors to come out," the police said. They said that after persuasion the relatives brought the body to the graveyard and performed all rituals "with due respect in presence of members of Intizamia Committee and local Imam".

"The refusal of both his sons to come to the graveyard indicated their loyalty to the Pakistani agenda rather than their love and respect for their departed father," they added.

The sons offered Fathia (prayers offered at the funeral) at 11 am on September 2.