JOIN USOmar Abdullah’s ‘considerable influence’ a reason for detention
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah’s “considerable influence” over people has been cited in support of his detention under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), while another ex-chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was slapped with PSA for “working with separatists”.
The grounds of detention against Omar states that on the eve of the reorganisation of the state he had made attempts to provoke general masses against the revocation of Articles 370 and 35(A).
The PSA dossier against Omar (49) states the National Conference leader’s ability to convince the electorate to vote in huge numbers even during the peak of militancy and poll boycott calls by separatists and militants.
The dossier also mentions Omar’s comments on social networking sites to instigate common people against the decisions on Articles 370 and 35(A) which had the “potential of disturbing public order”.
However, the police have neither mentioned any of Omar’s social media posts in the dossier nor in the order for grounds of his detention.
The PSA dossier prepared by police against Mehbooba (60) mentions her tweets in the run-up to the abrogation of Article 370 citing “lynchings” and “highway blockade” among others.
It also accuses her of promoting separatism corroborated by ‘several confidential reports’ filed by agencies.
It also cites Mehbooba’s political journey especially the last 10 years for ‘provocative statements’ that led to ‘incitement of violence’. It also terms the creation of the PDP as ‘dubious’.
“Green colour of party flag reflects radical origin,” it adds.
She has also been accused of making anti-national statements and extending support to organisations like Jamaat-e-Islamia J&K, which has been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The statements of the former chief minister, whose party PDP was an ally of the BJP till June 2018, on security forces killing militants was also made part of the PSA dossier against her.
Omar and Mehbooba have been under detention since August 5 last year.
They were booked under PSA on February 6, barely a few hours before their preventive detention was to end.
Omar’s father, Farooq Abdullah, a three-time chief minister and an incumbent MP, was booked in September last year under PSA.
PSA was also slapped on NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, PDP leader Sartaj Madni (maternal uncle of Mehbooba) and PDP leader and former minister Nayeem Akhtar soon after their release from MLA Hostel Srinagar last week.