Srinagar: CPI(M) leader, M Y Tarigami today said that the rampant and arbitrary arrests of people, especially youth in Kashmir since last August are atrocious and undemocratic and violate civil liberties of the people.
In a statement issued here today, Tarigami said that the Public Safety Act is being misused in Kashmir and in some cases common people are being kept in police stations for days together without any FIRs. Arrests under UAPA have become a norm and the law is being misused.
“Majority of the habeas corpus petitions filed with the Jammu and Kashmir High Court since the scrapping of Article 370 in August last year have remained pending,” he said.
He further said that arrests without any solid legal grounds do not augur well for the state. “It has been done before as well in the state, but it has never yielded anything. On the other hand, it just exacerbates the anger and gives rise to further uncertainty. We have always maintained that dissent should always have a place in a democratic society. Curbing the dissent and those holding a contradictory viewpoint is not democratic at all,” he added.
“Recently Justice D Y Chandrachud, one of the judges of the Supreme Court bench, which heard the bail plea of television anchor Arnab Goswami laid emphasis on protecting personal liberty of individuals. It is appreciable and we are hopeful that it becomes a norm for all cases now,” said Tarigami, appealing the Supreme Court to ask courts in Jammu and Kashmir to not fall short of exercising constitutional duties in protecting the life and liberty of individuals.
