J&K Leaders Placed Under House Arrest as Student Reservation Protests Intensify

SRINAGAR: In a significant escalation of tensions surrounding Jammu and Kashmir’s reservation policy, authorities on Sunday placed several prominent political leaders under house arrest to prevent them from joining a peaceful student protest planned at Srinagar’s Gupkar Road.

Those detained at home include former chief minister and opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, her daughter Iltija Mufti, ruling National Conference (NC) MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, PDP leader Waheed Para, and former Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattoo, officials confirmed.

The detentions came after these leaders publicly expressed solidarity with students demanding clarity and action on the long‑pending rationalisation of the reservation policy—an issue under review since a committee was formed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over a year ago.

Para criticised the move, calling it “unfortunate” and an attempt to stifle democratic expression. He argued that the government had shown “zero intent” to resolve what he described as an “existential issue” for the region’s youth.

In a post on ‘X’, Para who is also an MLA wrote that the reservation policy “strikes at the very foundation of the future of our younger generations,” adding that the prolonged silence from the administration had only deepened anxiety among students.

He further demanded that the reservation committee’s report be made public, saying there was “no justification” for withholding it even if final approval from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was pending.

NC Lok Sabha member Aga Mehdi also took to ‘X’ on Saturday night, revealing that armed police had been deployed outside his residence. He questioned whether this was a “pre‑emptive crackdown to silence a peaceful, pro‑student demonstration.”

Mehdi, who has been vocal in supporting the students’ demand for transparency, warned that the administration’s continued silence would only fuel mistrust. He urged ministers and MLAs to join him in protest if the reservation file was indeed pending with the Lt. Governor’s office.

“There is still time for the government to show empathy by engaging directly with the students,” he said.

NC president Farooq Abdullah, however, defended the house arrests. Speaking to reporters in Pahalgam, he suggested that the detained leaders “wanted to create turmoil,” which he said the administration would not allow. He added that those criticising the government were “perhaps not happy that the state is progressing.”

Iltija Mufti criticised the authorities in a post on ‘X’, saying an entire contingent of female police personnel had been stationed outside her home to prevent her from stepping out. “This is the ‘normalcy’ in Naya (new) Kashmir,” she wrote, questioning the grounds on which she had been detained.

NC chief spokesperson and lawmaker Tanvir Sadiq condemned the clampdown, pointing out that the same leaders had previously been allowed to protest outside the Chief Minister’s residence when the issue was directed at an elected government.

He argued that peaceful protests are a democratic right and that suppressing student voices was “deeply troubling” and “unjustified.” Sadiq reiterated that the elected government had already completed its work on rationalising reservation quotas and sent the report forward.

He said, “How was it acceptable for the very same people to march up to the gates of the Chief Minister’s residence to protest this issue earlier yet today, when students seek a peaceful protest because a Cabinet decision is pending with Raj Bhavan, the authorities suddenly clamp down and stamp out dissent? Let’s be clear: we did not stop students from exercising their legitimate democratic right to protest when the anger was directed towards the elected government. And we will not abandon them now simply because their peaceful protest is directed at Lok Bhavan.”

He further stated, “We made a clear commitment to rationalise reservation quotas, and we delivered promptly, transparently, and in good faith. The report has been finalised and sent. At this point, the matter is no longer in the hands of the elected government but we will pursue it. This is a stark reminder to those who claim that the restoration of statehood is a “non-issue.”

“This episode is a stark reminder of why Jammu and Kashmir needs a government with real authority—one that can take decisions without needless delays or suppression of democratic voices,” he said.

Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also criticised the detentions, saying the administration’s “default response” to issues in Kashmir remained the use of force—even when students were holding a peaceful sit‑in. He urged the government to address the students’ concerns urgently rather than resorting to reprisals. Mirwaiz also highlighted reports of harassment faced by Kashmiris in other states of the country, calling for immediate intervention.

The unfolding situation underscores a widening communication gap between the administration and the J&K’s youth. With political leaders confined to their homes and students demanding transparency, the reservation policy debate has evolved into a broader conversation about democratic rights, accountability, and the space for peaceful dissent in the Union Territory.