Budgam, Apr 16: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday alleged that Government of India wants to turn Kashmir Valley into an open air prison and the Srinagar Central Jail into another “Guantanamo”.
Expressed concern over “violation of prisoner’s rights” in Srinagar Central Jail and use of force against protesting inmates, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti while addressing a public meeting at Wahabpora Budgam said that “it looks like Government of India wants to turn the Srinagar Central Jail into another Guantanamo.”
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp or GTMO, is a United States’ military prison located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, on the coast of Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. Hundreds of Al Qaeda prisoners were held there indefinitely without trial and several detainees were brutally tortured, which has won this prison worldwide notoriety.
“Prisoners are entitled to fundamental human rights. Use of brute force to quell protests after alleged desecration of Quran is outright violation of such rights. Government of India wants to turn Kashmir into an open air prison and convert normal jails into Guantanamo,” Mufti said.
She also lashed out at the authorities for creating a sense of siege which saw a Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) being roughed up by Army personnel in south Kashmir. She demanded action against those involved in the incident.
“There are reports that a Sub Divisional Magistrate along with some of his staff members have been roughed up by some security personnel and even their mobile phones have been damaged. Such an unruly behaviour has become a norm. I condemn this high handedness and seek exemplary punishment against those found guilty,” she said.
“Earlier we saw a cancer patient being stopped and not allowed to travel on the highway. Now we are told he is no more. God knows what Governor Sahib has turned the whole thing into. Are we living in martial law times?” she asked.
Mehbooba asked people to strengthen PDP by voting its candidate in the Lok Sabha elections “so as to ensure that party moves forward to get people of the state out of all the miseries that they are faced with”.
