From inciting locals to violating freedom of speech: Why PSA for Farooq Abdullah is needed
New Delhi, Sep 18: The decision to change from preventive detention to Public Safety Act (PSA) was taken on Sunday while detaining former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Farooq Abdullah.
While the decision has come in for criticism by the opposition parties, sources tell OneIndia that it was absolutely necessary in the interest of law and order. While under preventive detention, he was meeting people and advising them on the next course of action.
The administration had initially allowed him to meet with locals and it was found that he was trying to incite some of them, the source also added. This is when it was decided to slap the provisions of the PSA on him, the official also said.
Farooq Abdullah incited youth to pick up arms, propagated secessionist ideology: Govt
Further, the government was getting several reports that if PSA was not slapped it would create problems in Jammu and Kashmir. The idea was also to send a message across to the others that the government wants peace in the Valley and none shall disrupt it. The officer added that the government does not want a situation where it would want to use force.
Abdullah
has
also
been
accused
of
misusing
political
position
and
asking
the
new
generation
to
pick
up
arms
and
propagate
secessionist
ideology.
The
government
has
made
27
charges
against
the
former
chief
minister
of
Jammu
and
Kashmir
while
detaining
him
under
the
PSA.
He
has
also
been
accused
of
violating
freedom
of
speech
by
inciting
violence.
Further,
an
incident
at
Hazratbal
held
last
December,
Abdullah
had
said
the
efforts
of
the
separatists
will
not
go
waste.
In
the
aftermath
of
the
Pulwama
attack,
he
had
said
that
it
was
the
Indian
government
and
not
the
terrorists
who
had
done
it.
The
government
has
also
cited
his
speech
in
a
political
rally
in
which
he
said
that
the
people
should
be
ready
for
a
mass
struggle
after
the
elections
to
seek
freedom
from
India.
Farooq Abdullah who was detained under the Public Safety Act has been confined to a single room of his home at the Gupkar Road in Srinagar. His detention under the PSA was approved by the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary.
His residence was designated as a subsidiary jail and Abdullah is being provided with all rights of a prisoner. Officials tell OneIndia that he has been confined to a single room. The rest of the rooms have been sealed. His meetings with outsiders is restricted and only those with a legal order will be permitted.
Sources say that Abdullah's preventive detention was converted into PSA on Sunday. Prior to this, he was under preventive detention as per the procedure laid down in the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Booked under PSA, Farooq Abdullah confined to single room at his high-profile Gupkar Road home
Abdullah is the second politician in J&K to be detained under the PSA after the abrogation of Article 370. Prior to this bureaucrat turned politician, Shah Feasal was also detained under the PSA. He had been detained last month at the Delhi airport last month, while attempting to leave for Turkey. He was sent back to Kashmir and detained under the PSA.
The PSA allows for detention up to two years in the case of persons acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the State, and for administrative detention up to one year where any person is acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre on a habeas corpus petition filed by MDMK leader, Vaiko who sought for the production of Abdullah. The Centre was granted time until September 30 to file its response.
Rajya Sabha MP and MDMK founder Vaiko had moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir to produce former state Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, allegedly under detention following the abrogation of Article 370, before the court.
In his plea, Vaiko has said that authorities should allow Abdullah to attend a "peaceful and democratic" annual conference, being organised in Chennai on September 15, on the occasion of the birthday of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C N Annadurai.
Vaiko, who said he is a close friend of Abdullah for past four decades, contended that constitutional rights conferred on the National Conference (NC) leader "have been deprived of on account of illegal detention without any authority of law".