Pressure tactics by BJP against its opponents: Cong on slapping PSA on J-K leaders

The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Saturday criticised the administration for slapping the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) on mainstream politicians in the Valley, accusing the BJP of using "pressure tactics" against its opponents.

"It is not only about valley, the BJP government is implicating anyone who is opposing its policies throughout the country and are misusing the law like PSA which is most abused over the past four decades," Congress state president G A Mir told reporters during a protest demonstration here.

Mir, who led the demonstration in support of continuation of the reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) outside the party headquarters, said those who were slapped with the PSA have worked with the BJP in the past at the Centre and in the erstwhile state.

"(National Conference vice president) Omar Abdullah was a Union minister in the A B Vajpayee-led BJP government at the Centre, while (PDP president) Mehbooba Mufti shared a plate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the PDP-BJP government in the erstwhile state," he said.

Mir was responding to a question about the slapping of the PSA on former IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal.

He said the BJP was using "pressure tactics" against its opponents throughout the country and slapping of the PSA against mainstream leaders in J and K tantamounts to trampling of democracy.

"It (BJP) will not get any benefit from this formula and when the time will come, the people of Jammu and Kashmir will make the right decision."