Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders who were detained last week for protesting have refused to sign an affidavit that terms “dissent as anti-national”, party president Mehbooba Mufti said on Thursday.
The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir while lashing out at the ruling government said, “In which democracy is the right to peacefully protest an ‘anti-national’ activity? PDP members detained last week for attempting to peacefully protest against news land laws in J&K today refused to sign a dictatorial affidavit that terms dissent as anti national,” she tweeted.
In another tweet she said that India is the world’s biggest democracy only on paper, “When will this deliberate attempt to conflate BJP with India stop? How does disagreeing with BJPs communal & divisive actions tantamount to being an anti national or sedition? Seems like India is the worlds largest democracy only on paper now,”
Ms. Mehbooba also posted the pictures of the said affidavit on her Twitter handle.
The detained leaders were made to sign written surety bonds for their release and asked to appear before the magistrate on 5 November.
However, today the leaders refused to sign the bond in front of Executive Magistrate stating they haven’t done anything ‘wrong’ or ‘violated any law’.
At least 19 PDP leaders appeared before Tehsildar South Srinagar who is also Executive Magistrate 1st Class. These leaders were arrested and booked for violating law when they had tried to take out a protesting march against new land laws.
They were detained by Police Station Kothi Bagh in a case vide number 107/151 CrPc. The Executive Magistrate had directed police to release them after they signed a surety bond of Rs 10,000, “It is a legal battle and we will fight it legally,” PDP leader Yasin Bhat was quoted as saying by local news gathering agency Kashmir News Trust.
Last Thursday, authorities foiled the protest march of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the new land law — allowing non-domiciles to buy land in Jammu and Kashmirowever.
