Jammu and Kashmir witnessed tensions on Sunday as key leaders were placed under house arrest to prevent them from joining a students’ protest against reservation policies. The lengthy list of detained leaders included PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi. Officials moved to detain several political leaders after they expressed solidarity with students planning a peaceful protest at Gupkar Road.
News agency IANS also shared visuals of a heavy police deployment outside the residence of JKNC MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi in Budgam. Several others — Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti, Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi, PDP leader Waheed Para, and former Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattoo — were also placed under house arrest.
What is interesting to note here is that Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi belongs to the party which has the government in J&K, and yet he has out under house arrest.
Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir: Heavy police deployment outside the residence of JKNC MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi in Budgam, as he claims his movement is being restricted ahead of a student sit-in protest against the rationalisation of the reservation policy. pic.twitter.com/bLMyCH3jHk
— IANS (@ians_india) December 28, 2025 What is happening in J&K?
The sudden development comes after these leaders expressed solidarity with students who planned to hold a sit-in protest, against the government’s “failure” to rationalise the reservation. The agitation was planned at Gupkar Road on Sunday, when the leaders also announced that they would join the demonstration, reported PTI.
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This comes a year after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah formed a committee to address the issue.
In a post on X, National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi shared that armed police have been deployed outside his residence. “Is this a pre-emptive crackdown to silence a peaceful, pro-student demonstration?” he asked.
In a previous post a day earlier, he said the reservation policy has become an existential issue that strikes at the very foundation of the future of our younger generations. It has been over a year since we, along with students, assembled outside the CM Omar Abdullah’s residence.
“Unfortunately, during this entire period, there has been absolutely zero intent on the part of the government towards resolving this issue, which has only compounded the uncertainty and anxiety shadowing our youth,” he added.
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Expressing angst against CM Abdullah and his government, PDP MLA Waheed Para alleged that the incumbent regime is showing zero intent to resolve the reservation issue.
At the very least, the reservation report must be placed in the public domain, the Pulwama MLA said. There was no justification to withhold the report of the Cabinet sub-committee formed by Omar Abdullah, even if the recommendations were still pending the lieutenant governor’s approval, he added.
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The protest was initially announced by open merit students at Polo View in Srinagar to protest the delay in the rationalisation of reservations.
The Cabinet sub-committee recommends 50 per cent seats each for the open merit and reserved categories. However, while the cabinet did not touch the reserved quota untouched, it has now recommended reducing the seats under the Residents of Backward Areas (RBA) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS). The plan is to shit these seats to open merit quota. |
