Will repeal PSA if NC comes to power in J&K: Omar Abdullah

Those who scripted PSA can’t be trusted for its repeal, Sajad Lone attacks Omar

National Conference vice-president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that if his party was voted to power, it would repeal the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA).

Speaking at a rally in south Kashmir’s Dooru, Abdullah said the day NC came to power, it will repeal the draconian Act. “There is no Public Safety Act across the country, but it has been implemented in J&K to harass people.”

The NC vice-president said that his party will ensure that the locals get land and jobs. “We will keep contracts for our own people and fight for our identity. The mountains and rivers belong to us, but labourers and contractors have been hired from outside. Even the postman who delivers our letters is an outsider. Take our contractors from here for sand extraction in Punjab, that you will not do, instead outsiders are brought here, and then you ask why people are annoyed here,” he said.

Peoples’ Conference chairperson Sajjad Lone, however, hit back at the NC saying that the law was introduced by NC.

Without naming the party, Lone blamed the NC for introducing the law in J&K. “Need a clarification in good faith. Given that J&K as on date is a UT. Does UT Assembly have the powers to amend or create laws pertaining to public order. Or say the PSA. So why lie? What an irony. Those who scripted this draconian law, want us to believe they will repeal it,” tweeted Sajjad Lone.

He blamed Abdullah for scripting such laws.” Even more ironical that UT assembly just doesn’t have the powers for any such repeal. Lying through their teeth has been one consistent trait of those who scripted such laws.”

Sajjad also sought apology from those who created the PSA. “Can we at least have an apology from the creators of PSA, which till date has resulted in jailing of thousands of Kashmiris. In percentage terms proportion of people jailed from Jammu under this law is negligible. This law was meant just for the Kashmiri.”

PSA is a preventive detention law under which a person can be put in jail up to two years without trial. The law was put into force in 1978 and initially this was used against timber smugglers. Later, hundreds of political workers were booked under this law. In the recent days this law is used against drug smugglers and journalists. After revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, three former chief ministers – Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti – were booked under this law.

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