Srinagar: A day after the J&K government told the Supreme Court that senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz is not under any detention, high drama was witnessed at the leader’s residence here in Srinagar on Thursday.
Soz, a former Union minister, was seen climbing the boundary wall alongside the gate of his house, while cops tried to pull him down, to speak to the media persons assembled outside. Soz managed to climb the wall enough to have his head above it. He briefly addressed the media before a cop appeared beside him and pulled him down.
In the brief while that he managed to speak, Soz told the media persons that the government had “lied to Supreme Court” about his detention.
A video also went viral on social media showing Soz helplessly trying to talk to media persons from behind the wall of his house. In the one-minute video, Soz can be heard saying, “The government told the Supreme Court that I am a free person. If I’m a free person, they why am I not being allowed to move out of my residence? The police personnel stationed here say that they have orders from higher-ups to bar me from stepping out.”
Soz also said that he will knock the doors of the court again, challenging the “false claims” of the government.
While Soz was speaking to the press from behind the wall, a policeman suddenly appeared alongside him, disturbing the scene and pulling the leader away. Soz was then heard behind the wall shouting to policemen, “Don’t touch me! Take your hands off!”
After this, the media persons were told to go away from Soz’s residence by several policemen, who, too, climbed the wall to convey the message from behind it, “Go off from here. Go right now,” said one of them.
The video drew sharp reactions from several top politicians of Jammu and Kashmir, including former CM Omar Abdullah.
“Soz Sahib’s plight is not unique. @JKNC has gone to court because more than 15 of our colleagues are similarly illegally detained & I have no doubt the administration will claim they aren’t detained. As if any of these people would sit at home for a year of their own free will,” wrote Omar while retweeting Soz’s video.
Iltija Mufti, daughter of Mehbooba Mufti, wrote on her mother’s Twitter handle, “Sad to see Saifuddin sahab get manhandled by police for speaking to media. I faced the same situation in Jan when I tried to address media at my house in Srinagar. @SalmanSoz I think it would help if he spoke to media via zoom? Will expose J&K admin & police both.”
Several leaders of JKPCC, the Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, condemned the police action against Soz at his residence.
“The Government lied to the Supreme Court that Soz sahib is a free man. In its affidavit before the apex court, the Government lied that he was never detained or placed under house arrest. The reality is that he has been detained since last August and is not being allowed to move out of his house,” the JKPCC said, adding that such behaviour with a “seasoned politician was totally unacceptable”.
CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that the claims of the government in the Supreme Court were another glaring example of the lies of the BJP government.
“Since last one year, the civil liberties of the people of J&K have been snatched by the BJP government. Not only Soz, the restrictions have been imposed on several political leaders of Kashmir in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner,” he said.
In an affidavit before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir government had said that Soz was “never detained nor is under house arrest”, adding that there were “no restrictions on his movement subject to security clearance”.
The government’s affidavit came in response to a petition filed by Safuddin Soz’s wife, seeking her husband’s release from “illegal detention” and demanding in a habeas corpus petition that he be brought before the court.
Late in the evening, government spokeperson Rohit Kansal tweeted that Soz is not under detention.
“Saiffudin Soz former MP and Minister not under arrest or detention. He has been to Delhi twice- in October and December. Free to go wherever he likes with usual security drill. No question of lying in Hon SC,” he said.

KALEEM GEELANI