'Treated like enemies': Mufti's protest on release of political prisoners draws Omar’s retort, tells her 'go to Delhi'

The PDP president accused authorities of prolonging detentions and denying basic rights to Kashmiri prisoners lodged outside the UT. Omar Abdullah dismissed the move, saying only Delhi holds the key.

Srinagar: Opposition PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday staged a protest in Srinagar seeking the release of Kashmiri political prisoners lodged in outside jails, drawing a sharp jibe from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who said such decisions are taken in New Delhi.

Accompanied by party leaders and workers, Mehbooba held a sit-in outside the PDP headquarters, accusing the government of prolonging detentions of Kashmiris lodged in jails across India since the abrogation of Article 370. However, police intercepted the demonstration and didn’t allow it to move ahead.

Addressing reporters afterward, she accused the authorities of suppressing their democratic right to protest. “We had staged a peaceful protest seeking release of political prisoners and you all saw how we were stopped and what happened to us. They treated us like an enemy,” she said.

She highlighted the plight of several senior separatist leaders and other detainees, claiming many were unwell while their families struggled to cope. “Our prisoners do not get parole, furlough or bail, while even hardened criminals elsewhere secure these rights. Families of the poor cannot afford to travel and meet their loved ones outside J&K,” she said.

Calling the matter humanitarian rather than political, Mehbooba urged that detainees be shifted back to Jammu and Kashmir. Recalling a resolution moved by her party in the Assembly, she asked the National Conference and others to join in pressing the Centre. “If you cannot release them, at least meet the Home Minister and demand their return. An all-party delegation or ministers should be sent to different jails to assess their condition,” she added.

Omar Abdullah, the NC vice-president, countered her protest, saying: “All such decisions are being made in Delhi. If she wanted to be effective, she should have gone there and spoken to the leadership.”