In Detention For Six Months, Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah Now Slapped With Public Safety Act

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, have been slapped with Public Safety Act (PSA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The two veteran leaders were placed under detention after the Modi government abrogated Article 370 in August 2019.

According to sources, "while most of the political leaders were released after they signed a bond not to indulge in political activity, at least 10 leaders are in detention," reported India Today. Apart from the two, Omar's father Farooq Abdullah, and former IAS officer Shah Faesal will continue to be in detention.

"Ms Mufti received a PSA order sometime back. Slapping the draconian PSA on two ex J&K CMs is expected from an autocratic regime that books nine-year-old for 'seditious remarks'. Question is how much longer will we act as bystanders as they desecrate what this nation stands for?" tweeted Iltija Mufti, daughter of Mehbooba Mufti, who handles her social media profiles.

National Conference general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, former NC MLC Bashir Veeri and PDP leader Sartaj Madni (maternal uncle of Mehbooba Mufti) were also slapped with PSA immediately after their release from preventive detention at the MLA Hostel in Srinagar on Thursday afternoon.

Describing the situation in Kashmir valley after the abrogation of Article 370 on Thursday, February 6, PM Modi in the Parliament said that Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah, and Farooq Abdullah had delivered inflammatory speeches before the abrogation. Now all three leaders face PS charges.

"We won't give permission to disturb the peace of any place in this country be it Kashmir or Northeast," PM Modi said. Four leaders, meanwhile, were released on February 5, including Wahid Para, a member of Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party, and People's Conference leader Sajjad Lone.

Also Read: Detained For Over 110 Days Under PSA, Farooq Abdullah Now Part Of Defence Panel By Centre