Farooq defends leaders’ house arrest

Srinagar, Dec 28: National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Sunday defended the house arrest of his party’s MP Aga Syed Ruhullah and other leaders, saying they want to create “turmoil”, which would not be allowed.

Talking to reporters at Pahalgam in south Kashmir, Abdullah said the leaders were probably not happy that J&K was on the path of progress.

“You should ask those leaders what they want to do. We are doing as much as we can. Perhaps, they do not like that J&K is progressing. They want turmoil, which we will not allow to happen,” he said.

Authorities on Sunday placed several leaders, including Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah, PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, PDP leader Iltija Mufti, and former Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) mayor Junaid Azim Mattoo, under house arrest to prevent them from taking part in protests against the existing reservation policy.

On the situation in Bangladesh, Abdullah expressed hope that peaceful elections would be held in the neighbouring country so that a new government could be formed.

“We hope the new government will tread the path of friendship with India,” he said.