'Shocked & devastated': Chidambaram slams Centre for slapping PSA on Omar, Mufti

Slamming the Centre for slapping the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) on former chief ministers of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, Congress leader P Chidambaram has said that he is "shocked and devastated." Taking to Twitter on Friday, he said,  that detention without charges is the worst abomination in a democracy. "When unjust laws are passed or unjust laws are invoked, what option do the people have than to protest peacefully?" He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Omar's photo and Farooq Abdullah's PSA detention

Recently, an unverified photo of Omar Abdullah - smiling inspite of his unkempt, straggly and shaggy bearded appearance did the rounds, which disturbed most politicians. Previously on December 14, Omar's father Farooq Abdullah's detention was extended by another three months by the Jammu-Kashmir administration after initially being charged on August 5. All three leaders have been detained since August 5 after the BJP-led government revoked the special status from the state by scrapping Article 370.

Omar Abdullah & Mehbooba Mufti under PSA

In a shocking development on Thursday evening, former Jammu-Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been booked under the under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) on Friday. Sources report that the documents and the papers have been signed by the Jammu-Kashmir government. Sources report that the former CMs' detention was set to end on Friday. Earlier, NC Chief Farooq Abdullah was placed on detention under PSA.

Omar Abdullah & Mehbooba Mufti booked under Public Safety Act

What is PSA?

As per the PSA provisions, the government could detain a person for up to two years, although, for 'first-time offenders' the length of the detention is limited to six months. However, in the case of "no improvement in the conduct of the detainee," the detention can be extended to its full course of two years. The PSA act was initially promulgated during Sheikh Abdullah, the father of Farooq Abdullah's tenure. 

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