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SRINAGAR: Authorities placed Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi of National Conference, opposition PDP legislator Waheed Parra, party functionary Iltija Mufti and others under house detention Sunday, stopping a student-backed protest against J&K’s current reservation policy and exposing sharp political fault lines within NC.The confrontation follows months of debate over changes to J&K reservation rules. Originally framed in 2004, the rules were amended by Union government in 2024 to grant Pahari-speaking population a 10% quota under scheduled tribe category, changes implemented the same year by LG administration. More than 15 new castes were also added to reservation list.Several political parties, including Peoples Conference, Mehdi and student activists, said the revised policy has sharply reduced open merit share in jobs and professional college admissions to below 40%.After a protest on Dec 23 last year outside CM Omar Abdullah’s home, Mehdi, Parra, Iltija and students were invited for talks. Omar assured a review of the framework, leading to formation of a cabinet sub-committee. After months of deliberations, its recommendations were sent to LG’s office early this month and remain pending.Mehdi had warned last month that if the issue was not resolved, he would sit with students in protest. Sunday’s detentions halted that plan but intensified pressure on the NC-led government navigating authority split with the LG amid renewed calls for statehood.NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah defended the detentions, accusing functionaries behind the protest of seeking disorder. “They do not want to see J&K move on the path of development. They want chaos, and we will not allow that,” he said. NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar claimed “many of them, I am told, requested for house arrest”.At the same time, NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said the party remains committed to rationalising reservation quotas. The cabinet sub-committee’s report has been finalised and sent to the LG, he said. “At this point, the matter is no longer in the hands of elected government but we will pursue it.”Mehdi said police informed him Sunday morning he could not step out of his home before a planned demonstration with students in Srinagar. “We also received reports late last night that students have been arrested and their families intimidated by police,” he said.Law and order is under LG Manoj Sinha, but Mehdi demanded NC-led government clarify whether it played any role in the detentions. He asked government to specify a date by which a reservation file pending approval with the LG would be cleared, or join him in protest. Mehdi also urged government to lead a push for a discussion in Parliament on restoring special status for J&K, citing a resolution passed by the assembly in its first session last year.Police placed Parra under house arrest late Saturday. Iltija, daughter of PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti, said she too was confined. “The insecurity and paranoia of the security agencies knows no bounds. This is the ‘normalcy’ in Naya Kashmir. An entire contingent of female police personnel is deputed at the gate to physically stop me,” she said. J&K police and LG’s office issued no statements.
