Mehbooba along with National Conference’s Omar Abdullah remained under house arrest along with several separatist leaders in the Valley. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi) Mehbooba along with National Conference’s Omar Abdullah remained under house arrest along with several separatist leaders in the Valley. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

Supreme Court’s decision to stay the felling of trees at Aarey forest, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said Aarey trees mattered more than Kashmiri lives.

Mufti, who has been under detention since August 5, also accused the Centre of stripping Kashmiris of their fundamental rights. “Glad that activists were able to stop the felling of trees at Aarey. One wonders why Kashmiris have been deprived of the very same right to free speech & expression. GOI claims they are now at par with other Indians but the truth is they’ve been stripped of even fundamental rights,” a tweet from Mufti’s official handle read. The account is currently run by Mufti’s daughter Iltija, who tweets on behalf of the former J&K chief minister.

The apex court today restrained authorities from cutting anymore trees in Mumbai’s Aarey to set up a Metro car shed. A special bench comprising justices Arun Mishra and Ashok Bhushan said it will have to examine the entire thing and posted the matter for hearing on October 21 before its forest bench.

Glad that activists were able to stop felling of trees at Aarey. One wonders why Kashmiris have been deprived of the very same right to free speech & expression. GOI claims they are now at par with other Indians but truth is they’ve been stripped of even fundamental rights. — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 7, 2019

Meanwhile, normal life remained affected in Kashmir for the 64th consecutive day on Monday as main markets continued to be shut and public transport remained off the roads, PTI reported. Quoting state officials the news agency reported that autorickshaws and some inter-district cabs were seen plying in the city, but the other modes of public transport were off the roads. The officials said there were no restrictions anywhere in the valley, but security forces were deployed in strength in vulnerable areas to maintain law and order.

Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi with former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. (PTI/File)

Mehbooba along with National Conference’s Omar Abdullah remain under house arrest along with several separatist leaders in the Valley.

On Sunday, a 15-member delegation of National Conference from Jammu had met detained party president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah in Srinagar. The delegation led by provincial president Devender Singh Rana and comprising former party legislators arrived in Srinagar on Sunday morning. “We are happy that they are both well and in high spirits, of course, they are pained by the developments in the state. If the political process has to start then mainstream leaders have to be released,” Rana said after meeting the leaders.

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