Congress Leaders Attack Govt Over Mufti’s Extended Detention

The detention of Mehbooba Mufti was extended by three months under the Public Safety Act (PSA) on Friday.

Left: Rahul Gandhi. Midlle: Mehbooba Muft. Right: P Chidambaram.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

While attacking the government over the extended detention of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday, 2 August, said that it “damaged” the democracy of India.

The detention of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was extended by three months under the Public Safety Act (PSA) on Friday.

In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, “India’s democracy is damaged when GOI illegally detains political leaders. It’s high time Mehbooba Mufti is released.”

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday released J&K People's Conference leader Sajad Ghani Lone from house detention.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, too, criticised the government and demanded the release of Mehbooba Mufti.

“The BJP government is making the detention of leaders its weapon to shy away from dialogue, the strongest style of democracy. Keeping under house arrest is undemocratic and unconstitutional. She should be released,” she tweeted.

Chidambaram Attacks Government Over Extension of Detention

Senior party leader P Chidambaram also attacked the government saying that the extension is “an abuse of law and an assault on the constitutional rights guaranteed to every citizen.”

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram questioned how is the 61-year-old former chief minister, “a protected person under security guard round the clock, a threat to public safety?”

“Why should she undertake not to speak against the abrogation of Art 370? Is it not part of the right to free speech?” he added.

“I am one of the Counsel appearing in a case in the SC challenging the abrogation of Art 370. If I speak against Art 370 — as I must — is that a threat to public safety? We must collectively raise our voices and demand “FREE MEHBOOBA MUFTI IMMEDIATELY”,” another tweet read.

Mufti had been detained at the time of the abrogation of Article 370 and revocation of J&K's special status last year, on 5 August.

Besides Mufti, two other former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah, had also been detained under the PSA but later released.