Srinagar, Mar 14: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday welcomed the Centre’s decision to revoke the detention of Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA), saying the stringent law should never have been invoked against the environmentalist.
The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah.
“The NSA should not have been invoked against Sonam Wangchuk in the first place. He has done so much for the environment. Also, he was a fan of the BJP, this should not have happened to him,” Mufti told reporters here.
“Thankfully, he has got his right. However, there are many more people who are lodged in jails under UAPA and do not have the wherewithal to fight legal battles. Many of them are languishing in jail for years without a trial,” she said.
The Centre on Saturday said it has revoked with immediate effect the detention of Wangchuk under the NSA, nearly six months after he was arrested following violent protests in Leh that left four dead.
The decision, which the Centre said was to foster peace in Ladakh, comes days after the Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on a plea filed by the activist’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, challenging his detention to March 17.
The NSA empowers the Centre and states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner “prejudicial to the defence of India”. The maximum detention period is 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier.
It can be invoked by the local administration and has to be ratified by a board headed by a former high court judge. Because it is preventive detention and not arrest, there is no legal obligation to present the detainee before a court of law.
Mufti said a meeting of party leaders held earlier in the day discussed the situation in Kashmir in light of recent protests supporting Iran. She claimed that many people had been in jail for nearly two weeks for participating in peaceful protests.
“Iran has a special place in the hearts of Kashmiris, as Islam came to Kashmir from Iran. It is natural that people of Kashmir feel the pain of the people of Iran who are fighting satanic forces. I request the LG to release the persons arrested during the recent pro-Iran protests in Kashmir,” she said.
She added that a resolution expressing solidarity with the people of Iran was passed at the meeting.
“The leaders lauded the people of Jammu and Kashmir for supporting Iran through peaceful protest. We appeal to Muslim countries to come to the aid of Iran in this hour,” she said.
Mufti further urged the Centre to review its policy towards the region, “We have had excellent relations with Iran. Tehran has stood by us in our difficult times,” she said. (PTI)
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