india

Updated: Oct 15, 2019 14:20 IST

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah’s sister and daughter were among half a dozen women activists who were detained during a protest march against the abrogation of Article 370, PTI reported.

The senior National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah’s sister Suraiya and his daughter Safiya were leading a group of women activists when they were detained, according to the news agency.

Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah are among hundreds of leaders who are under house arrest after the Centre’s move on August 5 to scrap the state’s special status and divide it into two Union territories.

The women protesters, who were wearing black arm bands and holding placards, were not allowed by the police to assemble and asked to disperse.

The Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF’s) women personnel rounded the protesters into police vehicles when they refused and tried to stage a sit-in.

They also tried to stop them from distributing a statement to the media covering the protest.

“We, the women of Kashmir, disapprove the unilateral decision taken by the government of India to revoke Article 370, 35A and downgrade and split the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” they said in the statement.

The women said they feel “betrayed, humiliated and violated as people” as they demanded the restoration of civil liberties and fundamental rights of the citizens.

Detainees must be immediately released and demilitarisation of rural and urban areas must be ended, they also demanded.

“We express our outrage against the national media for their false/misleading coverage of ground realities in Kashmir,” they added.