Kashmir leaders under house arrest as unrest grows
(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) -Top politicians in Indian-administered Kashmir have been put under house arrest, days after thousands of troops were deployed to the disputed region.
Public meetings have been banned and reports say mobile networks and the internet have been restricted.
Last week authorities also ordered tourists and Hindu pilgrims to leave, citing a “terror threat” against an annual pilgrimage to a major shrine.
It is unclear what is behind the latest moves, which have stoked tensions.
It was in the early hours of Monday that two former chief ministers of Indian-administered Kashmir, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, were placed under house arrest.
The two leaders tweeted late on Sunday night about their impending house arrests and the situation there.
No explanation has been given yet but it comes amid speculation Delhi might be poised to remove Kashmir’s special privileges, such as a provision which prevents people from outside the state buying land there.
Curfew has also been imposed in the city of Jammu with immediate effect, according to BBC correspondents. India administers Jammu and Kashmir as one state.