PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti claimed she was placed under house arrest in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent her from visiting Sopore for the funeral of former Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat. She termed the move “undemocratic” and also criticised BJP for fueling unrest in the region.
-1758181033600_d.png "Jammu and Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti claims to be under house arrest")
PDO Chief Mehbooba Mufti. Image/File pic
Days after Sanjay Singh was put under house arrest in Jammu and Kashmir for protesting against the arrest of party MLA Doda Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act, the Peoples' Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday claimed that she was put under house arrest. Mehbooba Mufti claimed that she was put under house arrest to prevent her from visiting Sopore to offer condolences on the demise of former Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat.
While posting on social media platform X, Mehboob Mufti said, "The decision to place the political leadership under house arrest today, simply to stop us from visiting Sopore to offer condolences on the demise of Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, lays bare the harsh and undemocratic reality in Jammu and Kashmir."
Abdul Gani Bhat died at his Sopore residence on Wednesday evening after a prolonged illness.
Referring to the recent controversy at the Hazratbal Shrine here, Mehbooba Mufti further said that the public anger was a "loud, unmistakable message".
The decision to place the political leadership under house arrest today, simply to stop us from visiting Sopore to offer condolences on the demise of Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, lays bare the harsh and undemocratic reality in Jammu and Kashmir.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 18, 2025
What unfolded at Hazratbal Dargah… pic.twitter.com/M0BmZ276oM
The PDP chief further added, "What unfolded at Hazratbal Dargah – the eruption of spontaneous, raw public anger – was not just an isolated incident. It was a loud, unmistakable message from a people pushed to the edge. The BJP, however, remains wilfully blind to this truth, refusing to learn anything from the deep anguish and suppressed emotions that have been building for years now," as cited by news agency PTI.
However, a huge controversy erupted in Kashmir after a plaque with the Ashoka emblem was vandalised in the Hazratbal shrine on September 5. The majority of political parties accused Waqf Board chairperson Darakshan Andrabi of hurting religious sentiments by using the national emblem in the mosque and demanded registration of a criminal case and her immediate removal.
The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir said it is becoming "increasingly clear" that the BJP has "no interest" in peace or healing in Kashmir.
While commenting on the unrest that happened last week, she said, "Instead, they seem determined to keep the region in a constant state of turmoil, weaponising pain and unrest for political mileage across the rest of the country. This cynical approach is not just irresponsible; it is dangerous and utterly reprehensible."
The current chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, also claimed he was put under house arrest during the late hours of Wednesday.
Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz, while posting on X, said, “It pains me beyond words that the authorities compelled the family of Prof. to conclude his 'janazah' hurriedly. I have been locked inside my home and being denied the right to walk with him on his final journey."
The separatist leader said his association with Bhat spanned 35 years of friendship and guidance.
"So many others, too, longed to pay their last respects. To be deprived of even the solace of participating in his 'janazah' and bidding him a final goodbye is an unbearable cruelty," the Hurriyat Conference chairman added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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