Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairperson of the moderate All Party Hurriyat Conference, was surprised when the paramilitary forces moved in and encircled his house in Nagen in downtown Srinagar.
"They told me that I have been put under house arrest and nobody is being allowed to move towards my house," Mirwaiz told rediff.com on phone from his house. His movements have been temporarily restricted to ensure peace and tranquality in the Valley.
Though similar orders were also passed against hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, he instead of going to his house, went to a friend's place.
Mirwaiz had given a call to his followers to assemble at the mosque so that they could ensure that the order of giving land for Amarnath board is peacefully resolved by seeing a copy of the order which ensures that the earlier move to take over the land has been withdrawan effectively.
"We were not looking for anything more," he said. According to sources in the administration this virtually amounts to Mirwaiz resorting to social audit of the government's moves.
Meanwhile, Governor N N Vohra has asked Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to prove his majority on the floor of the House by next Monday. Failure to do so could mean Jammu & Kashmir being brought under President's rule.
Communist Party of India-Marxist legislator A Yusuf Tarigami is hopeful that Azad may survive the no confidence motion though his party is yet to take a decision whether to go with the Congress government or abstain.
"We are strongly against Mirwaiz Umer Farooq being placed under house arrest. Chief Minister Azad is confident that he will survive," Tarigami said. He did not forsee President's rule. "We should have elections under President's rule if Azad fails to prove his majority," he said.