We're under house arrest, says Omar and Mehbooba; Cabinet meet today

Sources said the BAT attempt was made on the intervening night of July 31 and August 1

The Cabinet will meet on Monday morning and is expected not only to take stock of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir but policy decisions concerning the state.
 
This comes as NC’s Omar Abdullah and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti tweeted that they believed that they had been put under house arrest.
 
“I believe I’m being placed under house arrest from midnight tonight & the process has already started for other mainstream leaders. No way of knowing if this is true but if it is then I’ll see all of you on the other side of whatever is in store. Allah save us,” tweeted Omar Abdullah.
 
Mehbooba tweeted that she was hearing reports about internet being snapped soon including cellular coverage. “Curfew passes being issued too. God knows what awaits us tomorrow. It’s going to be a long night,” she said.
 
“To the people of Kashmir, we don’t know what is in store for us but I am a firm believer that what ever almighty Allah has planned it is always for the better, we may not see it now but we must never doubt his ways. Good luck to everyone, stay safe and above all please stay calm,” Omar tweeted.
 
“How ironic that elected representatives like us who fought for peace are under house arrest. The world watches as people & their voices are being muzzled in J&K. The same Kashmir that chose a secular democratic India is facing oppression of unimaginable magnitude. Wake up India.” tweeted Mehbooba Mufti a little after midnight.
 
Regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday unanimously resolved to fight any attempt to abrogate the constitutional provisions that guarantee the state special status or any move to trifurcate the state.
 
The Indian Army on Sunday offered to return to its Pakistan counterpart the bodies of the intruders slain during an attack in the Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said. The attack was mounted by Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) and was foiled by the Indian Army.
 
There has been speculation that the Centre is considering trifurcating the state. After the meeting of the Kashmir-based political parties, National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah read out a resolution it adopted. It said the parties have decided to send delegations to meet the president, the prime minister and leaders of various political parties to apprise them about the consequences of any attempt to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution or carry out delimitation of constituencies or trifurcating the state.
 
Apart from Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah, Taj Mohiuddin of the Congress, Muzaffar Beig (PDP), Sajad Lone and Imran Ansari (Peoples Conference), Shah Faesal (J&K Peoples Movement) and M Y Tarigami (CPI-M) attended the meeting.
 
Farooq Abdullah said the meeting agreed that modification, abrogation of Articles 35A and 370, unconstitutional delimitation or trifurcation of the state would be an aggression against the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
 
The resolution was described as “Gupkar Declaration” as the meeting was held at Abdullah’s residence in the Gupkar area of Srinagar. The meeting, scheduled at Mehbooba’s residence, was held at Abdullah's residence due to his ill-health.
 
After the Jammu and Kashmir administration curtailed the Amarnath Yatra and asked pilgrims and tourists to leave the valley at the earliest on Friday, anxious residents continued to throng markets to stock essentials and serpentine queues were visible outside shops and fuel stations.
 
Home Minister Amit Shah met top security officials on Sunday afternoon. Shah met Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Intelligence Bureau chief Arvind Kumar and Research and Analysis Wing’s (RAW’s) Samant Goel.
 
The BJP has issued a whip to its members in the Rajya Sabha for the rest of its three sittings this week. The Rajya Sabha would take up a Bill on Monday that Shah would introduce, to provide 10 per cent quota for economically weaker sections in jobs and education.
 
On Sunday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the National Security Committee to hold consultations with the country’s top civil and military leadership over the sudden spike in tensions with India. In a series of tweets, Khan said that it's time for US President Donald Trump to mediate on the Kashmir issue.