At a time when a fresh furore has arisen at the political level over PSA in J&K, Peopleโs Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Sunday said the Public Safety Act (PSA) is a draconian law that has been used with impunity by all chief ministers and governors of Jammu and Kashmir. Omar Abdullah’s statement a day back that he would revoke the law as soon as statehood is restored trigerred political reactions over the issue.ย
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While reacting to a post by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, the MLA from Handwara said the PSA was not repealed by any government in Jammu and Kashmir when they were in a position to do so.โThey never repealed this draconian law when they could. They never will,โ he said.โ
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The PSA is a draconian law. It has been used with impunity by all Kashmiri chief ministers and all governors whenever J and K was under the central rule,โ Lone said in a post on X. Owaisi, while reacting to Chief Minister Omar Abdullahโs statement that he would revoke the PSA through an ordinance whenever he gets the powers, lambasted all governments in Jammu and Kashmir since 1978 for โmisusingโ the law.
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โI have to say it is for the first time that someone from the rest of the country has called โa spade a spadeโ,โ Lone said. The former minister said the police verification system in Jammu and Kashmir was based on โretributive justiceโ.โAdditionally, the notorious police verification system based on retributive justice and collective punishment was used by all during their tenures.
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โIn the year 2025 we have a law from the Stone Age, ยwherein a daughter or a son is punished for a crime committed by the father or mother; or a father is punished for a crime committed by a son or a daughter. The list of relationships impacted is long. Cousins are punished for a crime committed by a cousin,โ he added.ย