Unconstitutional step: Mamata on Farooq Abdullah's detention extension

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called an "unconstitutional step" the extension of former Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah's detention on Friday.

Taking to Twitter, the Chief Minister said that Abdullah's detention extension under the Public Safety Act was a "very sad state of affairs".

"Farooq Abdullah detention extended by three months under Public Safety Act... This is a very sad state of affairs. In our democratic country, this is happening. These are unconstitutional steps," he said.

Reacting to the development, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said she was sure that the Centre does not want to release political detainees in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"One can be quite certain GOI (Government of India) has no plans to release any political detainees including 3 former CMs," she tweeted, adding that "normalcy roulette continues."

Several mainstream leaders including Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti were put under house arrest since August 5 when special status to Jammu and Kashmir was stripped off.

The government has decided to extend the house detention of Farooq Abdullah for another three months under the stringent Public Safety Act. The three-term chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state would continue to remain at his residence which has been declared a sub-jail.