Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 28: As the authorities today placed several political leaders under house arrest and sealed the park near Polo View Market in the city centre to foil the protest march against reservation policy of the Government, the organizers called it off.
The Open Merit Students Association called off their planned protest against J&K’s “flawed” reservation policy after National Conference MP Syed Aga Ruhullah, PDP MLA Waheed ur Rehman Parra, former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu, and other political leaders were put under house arrest and the park near Polo View was sealed.
“Today’s sit-in cum meet-up on the unfair reservation policy stands cancelled,” the J&K Open Merit Students Association said in a statement.
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The sit-in is being organised to highlight long-pending and legitimate demands, including the need for a fair and rational reservation framework, the withdrawal of the “draconian” Rule 17, equal opportunities for all aspirants, and a halt to further reservations until a comprehensive policy review is undertaken.
“There will be no sloganeering, no provocation, and no indiscipline. Participants are requested to maintain discipline, decorum, and unity throughout the programme,” the Association said.
The political leaders, including NC MP Aga Ruhullah, PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra and former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu, were also scheduled to attend the sit-in protest.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Reservation policy has come under intense scrutiny after the Open Merit quota in Government jobs has shrunk to 30 per cent.
Ahead of the proposed march several political leaders today said that they were placed under house arrest.
The sit-in, scheduled to be held at Polo View Market at 11 am, was expected to draw participation from leaders across political parties, students and civil society activists. However, the protest could not take place as planned.
National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Parra and former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu said they were prevented from leaving their residences.
In a post on X, the office of MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi said the police had “officially informed” him that he had been placed under house arrest and barred from stepping outside.
In a video message released later in the day, Ruhullah said students and concerned citizens had planned a peaceful sit-in seeking rationalisation of the reservation policy, but alleged that several students were detained.
He demanded the immediate release of detained students and questioned under whose directions the restrictions were imposed.
The MP also sought clarity from the elected Government on the status of the reservation issue, asking whether any timeline or threshold had been set for its approval by the Lieutenant Governor.
Raising a series of questions, Ruhullah said that if the elected Government was serious about the issue, it should clearly state how long it would wait for approval and “whether it would join students in peacefully pressing for their demands.”
He further questioned why elected representatives did not oppose the curbs if the action had not been initiated at their behest.
Ruling NC’s chief spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq criticised the “crackdown”, stating that peaceful sit-ins and the free exchange of ideas are legitimate and constitutionally protected forms of expression in a democracy.
In a post on X, Sadiq said it was unacceptable that students were prevented from holding a peaceful protest when earlier demonstrations on the same issue had been allowed.
Meanwhile, PDP leader Iltija Mufti alleged that she too was placed under house arrest in Srinagar.
In a post on X, she described the deployment of police personnel outside her residence as reflective of the “insecurity and paranoia” of security agencies, and questioned the legal basis of the action.
PDP MLA Waheed Parra said the reservation policy had become an existential issue for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
He alleged that despite protests over the past year, the Government had shown little intent to resolve the matter, deepening uncertainty among students.
Former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu also said that heavy deployment of police and CRPF personnel was made outside his residence ahead of his participation in the sit-in.
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