Open Merit students cancel Srinagar protest after NC’s Ruhullah, PDP’s Parra, Iltija ‘placed under house arrest’

Students from the Open Merit category in Kashmir on Sunday (December 28, 2025) cancelled a sit-in protest in Srinagar over “unfair reservation quota”. The decision came after several political leaders, including National Conference’s Aga Syed Ruhullah, Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Waheed-ur-Rehmaan Parra, and Iltija Mufti, were allegedly placed under house arrest and student leaders detained. 

A spokesman of the Open Merit Students Association J&K, one of the organisations championing the cause of the Open Merit aspirants, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), announced that the sit-in has been cancelled.

“Today’s (December 28, 2025) sit-in cum meet-up on the unfair reservation policy stands cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. We urge all students to remain calm. Students are advised to return safely to their hostels, libraries, or homes,” the spokesman of the Association said. “No student is at fault. There is no threat or risk. Please stay calm and do not panic,” the spokesman added.

A student leader, pleading anonymity, said many student activists were taken into preventive detention or directed not to organise any protest since Saturday (December 27, 2025) evening. The student leader said, “The venue in Srinagar’s Polo View area was also closed with concertina wires by the security forces.” 

Meanwhile, NC Member of Parliament Ruhullah, PDP legislator Parra and PDP leader Iltija Mufti accused the J&K Police of placing them under house arrest in Srinagar, in a bid to stop them from joining the protesting students.

“The Police has officially informed MP Ruhullah that he has been placed under house arrest and is barred from stepping outside. We have also received reports late last night that students have been arrested and their families intimidated by the police. All this is because of them asking for a fair chance at success through a rational reservation policy,” an aide of MP Ruhullah said.

A PDP spokesman said the “house arrest” of MLA Parra was “blatant State repression, aimed at silencing dissent and truth.”

“Instead of fixing a deeply unjust reservation policy, the government is crushing voices exposing how Open Merit students’ hard work, merit, careers and futures are being destroyed,” the spokesman said.

Ms. Mufti, posting a picture of her residence sealed with concertina wires, said, “Like many others, I have also been placed under house arrest at Srinagar today (December 28, 2025). The insecurity and paranoia of the security agencies know no bounds. This is the ‘normalcy’ in Naya Kashmir. An entire contingent of female police personnel was deputed at the gate to physically stop me,” Ms. Mufti said.

J&K is witnessing growing protests from the Open Merit category students. In the wake of protests, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, after assuming power in October 2024, set up a three-member Cabinet subcommittee to rationalise the Open Merit category share to 50%. Mr. Abdullah has already submitted the proposal to the Lok Bhavan for approval. However, there are growing demands to make the details of the proposal public.