Yet another blatant illustration of Centre's high-handedness: NC on PSA on Omar, others

The National Conference on Friday condemned the slapping of the Public Safety Act (PSA) against party vice president Omar Abdullah, general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar and others, saying the "atrocious" move is yet another blatant illustration of the Centre's high-handedness.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were on Thursday night booked under the stringent PSA, barely hours before their six-month-long "preventive detention" was to come to an end.

NC leader and former minister Sagar and PDP leader Sartaj Madani were also booked under the PSA by the J and K administration on Thursday.

"The measure debunks the claim of the BJP-led central government on restoration of normalcy in J and K. The present situation in J and K is far from normal," NC leaders Muhammad Akbar lone, Hasnain Masoodi and Imran Nabi Dar said in a joint statement.

The invocation of the PSA on NC leaders and others is yet another atrocious move of blatant illustration of the Centre's high-handedness, it said.

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks attributed to Omar Abdullah, the statement said, "It is indeed alarming that the PM is quoting a satirical website to attack the leader in Parliament."
"On one hand the home minister has been maintaining that he never referred to the former incarcerated CMs of J and K as anti-nationals, on the other hand we have the PM saying that they have been fanning terrorism. Who is to be believed then?" it added