New Delhi, August 27: Counsel representing the Jammu & Kashmir administration before the Delhi High Court told the bench on Monday that former IAS officer Shah Faesal was detained as he was "instigating crowd" at Srinagar airport. The response came after the court had asked the administration to specify the reason why Faesal was detained and confined to house arrest.

Faesal, who heads the recently launched Jammu Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM) party, was detained on August 14 when he attempted to board a flight to Istanbul from the Delhi airport. He was subsequently brought to Srinagar and confined under house arrest.

Faesal had moved a plea before the Delhi HC, calling his detention "unlawful" and violative of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

Before he was placed under house arrest, Faesal emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the Centre's move to strip Jammu & Kashmir of its autonomy.

Speaking on BBC Hardtalk, the former bureaucrat said he is part of the third generation of Kashmiris who have been "betrayed" by the central government, comparing the abrogation of Article 370 with rigged assembly elections of 1987 and Sheikh Abdullah's arrest in 1953.

Faesal, in a series of tweets, has claimed that the space for mainstream politicians in the Valley ceases to exist.

"Kashmir will need a long, sustained, non-violent political mass movement for restoration of the political rights. Abolition of Article 370 has finished the mainstream. Constitutionalists are gone. So you can either be a stooge or a separatist now. No shades of grey," the 35-year-old had said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2019 09:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).