Former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdulla, were arrested on Monday evening, hours after the Centre scrapped Article 370 that gave special status to the state. J&K People's Conference leaders Sajjad Lone and Imran Ansari were also arrested, according to reports.
Mehbooba, the president of the People's Democratic Party, and Omar, the vice president of the National Conference, had been placed under house arrest on Sunday evening, along with a few other mainstream leaders in the state.
Reports said Mehbooba has been taken from her home in Srinagar to a nearby government guest house.
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In a series of tweets over the last few days, both the leaders had strongly warned the Narendra Modi government at the Centre against any move to scrap the special status of the state.
On Monday morning, After Home Minister Amit Shah's statement in the Parliament, Omar said: "The scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A raise fundamental questions on the State's accession because that was done on the very terms enunciated in these Articles. The decisions are unilateral, illegal and unconstitutional and will be challenged as such by the National Conference. A long and tough battle lies ahead".
Meanwhile, Mehbooba tweeted: “GOI's intention is clear & sinister. They want to change demography of the only Muslim majority state in India , disempower Muslims to the extent where they become second class citizens in their own state.”
In another tweet, she said: “What did J&K get for acceding to India? Another partition along communal lines? Our special status isn’t a gift bestowed upon us. Its a right guaranteed by the same parliament. A contract entered into by J&K leadership & India. Today the very same contract has been violated.”
