On Separatist leaders arrest, Mehbooba Mufti says, 'You can imprison a person, not his ideas'
After a crackdown on Separatists leaders in the valley ahead of the crucial hearing in Supreme Court over legality of Article 35A, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has come out in support of the JKLF leader Yasin Malik and others.
As Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) cadres were detained and Separatist Yasin Malik was arrested last night, former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti has raised questions over their arrest and tweeted, calling the arrest an “arbitrary move.”
Mehbooba Mufti, in a tweet, has said, “In the past 24 hours, Hurriyat leaders and workers of Jamaat organisation have been arrested. Fail to understand such an arbitrary move which will only precipitate matters in J&K. Under what legal grounds are their arrests justified? You can imprison a person but not his ideas.”
In the past 24 hours, Hurriyat leaders & workers of Jamaat organisation have been arrested. Fail to understand such an arbitrary move which will only precipitate matters in J&K. Under what legal grounds are their arrests justified? You can imprison a person but not his ideas.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 23, 2019
Another Separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, whose security cover was withdrawn by the Centre government, has termed the step as “illegal and coercive.” Farooq has said, “Force and intimidation will only worsen the situation.”
The security cover of Jammu and Kashmir has been beefed up since the terror attack in Pulwama took place, which claimed the lives of more than 40 CRPF soldiers and as of today, the Home Ministry has sent 100 additional Paramilitary forces on an “urgent basis” to Srinagar.
Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone cautioned the Centre from arresting and detaining Hurriyat leaders, as he feels that the step might boomerang.
In a tweet, Lone said, “Gov seems to be on an arrest spree. Just a word of caution. Large scale arrests took place in 1990. Leaders were ferried to Jodhpur and many jails across the country. Things worsened. This is a tried tested and failed model. Please desist from it. It won’t work. Things will worsen.”
Also read: Latest in Pulwama probe: Car used in blast was made in 2010-11, repainted
First published: 23 February 2019, 12:36 IST