House arrests across Jammu & Kashmir to  thwart planned student protest over reservation policy

The police in Jammu and Kashmir placed several prominent political leaders under house arrest on Sunday to prevent them from participating in a scheduled student demonstration demanding reforms to the region's reservation policy.

National Conference (NC) MP from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, confirmed that police had deployed forces around his Budgam residence, blocking access and formally informing him that he was barred from leaving. His office stated on X that student activists had also faced detentions and intimidation, describing the measures as an attempt to suppress calls for a fairer quota system.

PDP leader Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, similarly reported being confined to her Srinagar home, with a contingent of female police personnel stationed at her gate. In a post on X accompanied by photographs, she criticised the action as reflective of "insecurity and paranoia" among security agencies, questioning the grounds for the restriction and calling it the reality of "normalcy" in the region.

PDP MLA from Pulwama, Waheed ur Rehman Parra, who had pledged to join the protest, was also placed under house detention overnight. Images shared by party supporters showed a police vehicle parked outside his residence.

Other leaders, including former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu, alleged similar restrictions, with heavy deployments of police and paramilitary forces outside their homes.

The planned sit-in, organised by open merit students at a central Srinagar location, was ultimately cancelled after the venue was sealed and key supporters detained. Protesters from the general category, estimated to comprise around 70% of the population, have been seeking a larger share in government jobs and professional course admissions, arguing that the current policy allocates only about 40% to open merit despite reserved categories exceeding 60%.

The unrest stems from changes introduced after the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, including the addition of new groups like Paharis to the Scheduled Tribes, pushing ST quotas to 20%. The Omar Abdullah-led cabinet approved revisions on December 3 aimed at increasing open merit to 50%, but the proposal remains pending approval from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Ruhullah Mehdi, who has distanced himself from his party's stance by labelling the protests legitimate and accusing the government of delaying justice, had urged dialogue with stakeholders. The NC has maintained that the issue is "misdirected" toward the elected government, as final authority rests with the Lt Governor.

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