Earlier in the day, the JKPCC was prevented from holding a press conference in Jammu and the party’s State unit chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma was taken into custody.

The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee on August said its chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir was put under house arrest by the authorities here.

“Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir was put under house arrest in Jammu Friday afternoon. Restrictions were imposed on his movement within and outside the state,” a party spokesman said.

Senior Congress leaders, including Tara Chand, Madan Lal Sharma, Mula Ram, Jugal Kishore, Yogesh Sawhney, Manohar Lal Sharma, strongly condemned the detention of Mr. Mir. It as an undeclared emergency imposed in the State without any justification, they said. The leaders said the Governor’s administration is claiming total normalcy in the State on the on one hand, but detentions are taking place even in Jammu on the other.

Earlier in the day, the State unit of the Congress was prevented from addressing a press conference in Jammu.

Police detained party’s State unit chief spokesperson and former MLC Ravinder Sharma at the party headquarters. Mr. Sharma was about to address a press conference at the party headquarters in Jammu’s Shaheedi Chowk when a police party appeared on the scene and asked him to accompany him as a senior officer wanted to talk to him.

Our spokesperson in J&K Shri Ravinder Sharma was illegally arrested while conducting a press conference. And so was the PCC chief Shri Ghulam Ahmed Mir. We condemn this dictatorial move by the Modi Govt & demand that they be released immediately.#StopIllegalArrestsInKashmir pic.twitter.com/fOorQ45C7b — Congress (@INCIndia) August 16, 2019

A police officer said Mr. Sharma was taken into preventive custody to maintain law and order. “There was an apprehension that his speech might instigate people and result in law and order situation,” he said, asking not to be named.