Pulwama Aftermath: As crackdown of J&K leaders begins, Here’s what Mehbooba says

SRINAGAR: The government crackdown on separatists and Jamaat-e-Islami which began on Friday night has not gone well with the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti. She said that the “arbitrary” move will only “precipitate matters” in the state.

She was reacting to the crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir leaders. Over two dozen Jamaat leaders, including its chief Abdul Hamid Fayaz and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, have already been detained.

Mehbooba took to Twitter and said “In the past 24 hours, Hurriyat leaders & workers of Jamaat organisation have been arrested. Fail to understand such an arbitrary move which will only precipitate matters in J&K.”

“Under what legal grounds are their arrests justified? You can imprison a person but not his ideas,” she added.

The Centre has rushed 100 additional companies of paramilitary forces to Kashmir without assigning any reason for the heavy deployment.