SRINAGAR: Accusing the Central government of undermining democracy by ‘illegally” detaining political leaders, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi on Sunday pitched for release of Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti from home detention.
Mufti, who has been held under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) since the early hours of August 5 last year, is among 20-odd political leaders in the Valley who continue to remain under detention.
“India’s democracy is damaged when GOI illegally detains political leaders. It’s high time Mehbooba Mufti is released,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
India’s democracy is damaged when GOI illegally detains political leaders.
It’s high time Mehbooba Mufti is released.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 2, 2020
Earlier on Saturday, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said that the extension of the detention of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti under the PSA is an abuse of law and an assault on the Constitutional rights guaranteed to every citizen.
Mufti’s detention under PSA was extended by three months on Friday. Earlier, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s detention was extended on May 5 for three months.
Mufti and many other political leaders of Kashmir, including Farooq Abdullah, were put in detention last year following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that accorded special status to the erstwhile state.
