No basis to charge Omar, Mehbooba: Priyanka

New Delhi, Feb 10: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said that it is “pretty clear” that the government has no basis to charge Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti under the Public Safety Act and the two former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers must be freed.

“Since when has becoming a “daddy’s girl” and encouraging people to vote become a crime against the nation,” Priyanka Gandhi asked on Twitter.

Priyanka Gandhi’s attack came after Omar Abdullah’s “considerable influence” over people, including the ability to attract voters to polling booths despite poll boycott calls and the potential for channelling energies of public for any cause, was cited in support of his detention under the stringent PSA.

 While hailing the Centre’s decision to revoke J&K’s special status under Article 370 as a “historic decision”, the dossier has accused Abdullah of trying to stoke public anger to trigger violent…

Omar Abdullah’s political opponent and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti has been accused of making anti-national statements and extending support to organisations such as the Jamaat-e-Islamia. She was also reportedly referred in the report as being called by the masses as ‘Daddy’s girl’ and ‘Kota Rani’.

“Since when has being a ‘Daddy’s girl’ and encouraging people to vote become a crime against the nation? I would be proud to be both!” Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet.

“It’s pretty clear that the government has no basis for charging Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti with PSA. They must be freed,” Priyanka Gandhi said.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also attacked the government over the PSA dossier on the two leaders.

“It has now become a crime to encourage people to vote despite a call for boycott by separatists, and that too under PSA?” Randeep Surjewala asked in a tweet.

The PSA dossier prepared by the police against the 49-year-old Omar, who had served as minister of state for external affairs as well as commerce and industries, states his ability to convince.

“All leaders, parties and election commissioners have been committing this crime,” Randeep Surjewala said.

“Where are the Supreme Court and Election Commission?’ Modi hai toh mumkin hai (If Modi is there, it is possible),” Randeep Surjewala said, taking a dig at the BJP’s 2019 election campaign.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)