PSA being used against children of leaders who formulated it: PDP MP

J&K People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Nazir Ahmad Laway told ETV Bharat that the children of those leaders who formulated the "draconian" PSA are now being targetted under the same law. He also demanded immunity of mainstream political leaders from the law.

New Delhi/Jammu and Kashmir:Even as former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir including Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, among other leaders continue to remain under detention after being slapped with the contentious Public Safety Act (PSA), J&K People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Nazir Ahmad Laway said that the children of those leaders who formulated the "draconian" PSA are now being targetted under the same law.

"It (PSA) was formulated in 1978 by Sheikh Abdullah to prevent timber smuggling. Later on, I believe the same act was used to suppress the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, and now it is being used against the children of those leaders who formulated the draconian law, " Laway told ETV Bharat.

"We live in a democratic country and it is not right to invoke draconian laws such as PSA," added the Rajya Sabha MP.

Demanding immunity of mainstream political leaders from PSA, the Kashmiri politician further said, "I don't agree to PSA being imposed on mainstream political leaders. Political leaders must be immune to such draconian laws."

He, however, added, "Others who intend to cause a disturbance in the state must be slapped with this Act."

On the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 which guaranteed special status to the erstwhile state, Laway said, "People have become quiet. I visit remote rural areas, but people neither want to talk about it nor hear about it. I am a party worker and I have been visiting Kashmir frequently ever since Article 370 was revoked. The situation is the same as it was before the abrogation."

When asked if any progress has been made so far as their demand to release detained Kashmiri political leaders is concerned, he said, "We have been trying from the very first day to get the political leaders released from detention and several leaders have been released. Many of the names suggested by me to the Home Minister and Prime Minister have been released."

The Public Safety Act dossiers against Mufti and Abdullah accessed by media shows that the justification given for their continued detention is that both the leaders are radical influencers who have played role in inciting common people against the Union of India.

The PSA dossier states that Omar’s capacity to influence people for any cause ‘could be gauged from the fact that he was able to convince his electorate to come and vote in huge numbers even during the peak of militancy and poll boycotts’.

“She promotes separatism…and has been recognised as a hard-headed and scheming person, known for dangerous and insidious machinations,” reads the dossier of Mufti.

It also mentions the symbol (inkpot and pen) of the party alleging that the symbol has been taken from the United Front, which participated in the 1987 elections in J&K.