“Slapping PSA belies Centre’s normalcy claim”
Srinagar, Feb 06: Two former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were slapped with Public Safety Act (PSA) today as both continue to remain under detention since August 05, 2019.
Though there was no official confirmation, highly placed sources said that PSA was slapped on them today. However, the concerned Police has not received any warrants against them as both are SSG protectees.
However, it was not known that whether the two would continue to remain detained where they are presently lodged or shifted somewhere else.
Meanwhile, senior National Conference leader, A M Sagar and senior PDP leader, Sartaj Madni were today released from make-shift sub-jail, MLA Hostel but arrested again and booked under PSA.
They, reports said, have been lodged at a government building on Maulana Azad Road.
Sources said that Madni was booked under PSA in accordance with a dossier by District Magistrate, Kulgam indicating his involvement in “inciting violence” during Asiya-Neelofar case and following Afzal Guru’s hanging.
Former NC legislator Bashir Ahmed Veeri was also from MLA Hostel detention centre.
On Wednesday, Peoples Conference chairman and former minister, Sajad Lone too was released from MLA hostel detention centre but was put under house arrest where he can’t receive any visitors, sources said.
Meanwhile, mainstream parties reacted sharply to the slapping of the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) on Kashmiri politicians and said the move belies the Centre’s claim of normalcy in the union territory.
National Conference leader and former minister Ali Mohammed Sagar, and Sartaj Madani, the maternal uncle of PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, were on Thursday booked under the PSA. They were under preventive detention since August last year.
Reacting to the development, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said the BJP-led government at the Centre is “testing the patience” of the people by such “undemocratic moves”.
Jammu and Kashmir unit of the CPI(M) also condemned the slapping of the PSA on the three prominent Kashmiri leaders, while the Congress termed the decision as “unfortunate”.
“If everything is normal in Jammu and Kashmir, why the mainstream leaders are treated like criminals?” PDP asked.
Senior CPI(M) leader and former legislator M Y Tarigami said the decision puts a question mark on the Centre’s claim that the situation is normal in J and K post the abrogation of special status and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into UTs on August 05 last year.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP on Thursday questioned those who are vying for the release of the three former chief ministers — NC president Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti — who have been under detention since August 05 last year.
“Though the BJP opposes prolonged detention of any individual but has no hesitation to support the same if it contributes to peace and restoring normalcy,” BJP spokesperson Brig (retd) Anil Gupta said in a statement here.
