'Gunda Raj' in Kashmir, says Mehbooba Mufti after detention of PDP leaders

Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Monday alleged that “Gunda Raj” was prevailing in the Union Territory (UT) after police detained two senior party leaders.

“Total lawlessness as PDPs Sartaj Madni & Mansoor Hussain have been arbitrarily detained today on the eve of DDC election results. Every senior police officer here is clueless as it is ‘upar say order’. No rule of law in J&K anymore. It is out & out Gunda Raj (sic),” she tweeted.

Last month, the PDP youth president Waheed Parra was arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly seeking support from the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in the 2019 Parliamentary elections in which Mehbooba was the PDP candidate. 

Reports said Madni, who happens to be maternal uncle of Mehbooba, and Hussain were shifted to a police station in Anantnag’s Bijbehara town, also the hometown of the PDP president. Both are former MLAs and loyalists of Mehbooba.

The police did not disclose the details of the case in which the arrests have been made.

Madni and Hussain were detained along with Mehbooba and dozens of other high profile politicians in Kashmir last August after the Center revoked the erstwhile state’s special status under Article 370. Madni and Hussain were subsequently detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA), before being released in June this year, while Mehbooba was released in October.