In a major decision, two former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir were booked under the Public Safety Act hours before their preventive detention was about to come to an end. The PSA was slapped on Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah. The decision of the Union government has been questioned and many have called the move draconian. However, sources in the Union home ministry told MyNation that it was absolutely necessary and the two leaders have shown no signs of helping in the restoration of peace in the Valley.

Absolute need of the hour:

Home ministry sources say that over the past couple of months in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370, several leaders, who were detained, have been released. They had signed bonds that they would not indulge in political activity and help with the restoration of peace in the Valley.

Releasing Omar and Mehbooba would be fatal to peace in the Valley. They have shown no signs of helping with the restoration of peace and if they are out, they will ensure that the Valley would burn.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too had said in the Parliament that the two leaders had given inflammatory speeches before the abrogation of Article 370. We will not give permission to anyone to disturb peace in any place in the country, be it Kashmir or Northeast, the Prime Minister had also said.

Worrying intel report:

The decision to slap PSA on the two leaders was taken after much consideration. The Intelligence Bureau had informed the home ministry that these leaders need to be under detention.

They were planning on organising mass rallies, which eventually would have turned into stone pelting sessions. Further the Intelligence also said that there is a major attempt by Pakistan to push terrorists into the Valley. 

The security agencies in the Valley already have too much on their plate, when it comes to dealing with terrorists. At such a time, it would be absolutely fatal to release such leaders, who will use their clout and fan violence in the Valley, the Intelligence had also said.

The Intelligence also warned that these leaders would also get in touch with the separatists and further the problem. The separatists, who have been silenced due to an extensive terror funding probe, are looking for political backing. Mehbooba, Omar and Farooq Abdullah would have provided the perfect fodder for the same.

Separatists planning massive protests:

The administration is dealing with a three-fold problem in the Valley. There are terrorists, separatists and radical politicians. The three would come together to create unimaginable violence in the Valley, the home ministry said.

In the past couple of months, several terrorists have been shot dead by the security forces. There were attempts to conduct a mass funeral for them, but all attempts have been foiled. For the separatists, mass funerals are a platform to organise stone pelters and terrorists. These platforms have been used for long to indulge in anti-national activity and for several years now, the likes of Mehbooba, Omar and Farooq along with the separatists have let this happen. As normalcy is being restored in the Valley, it is extremely important that such elements are kept under check.

The larger conspiracy:

Post the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the issue. However, it has repeatedly failed at every forum. All countries have maintained that Kashmir is India’s internal issue.

With the mood not in favour of Pakistan, the country decided to do what it does best and that is insert terrorists into the Valley. The idea of these radical politicians, separatists and their friends in Pakistan is instigate the public and let the Valley burn.

They would then take it up at the international forum and blame India for the violence. The entire idea is to get the international community to speak out against India and its decision in Kashmir. The intention is to bring pressure on India to roll back its decision on Article 370 and hence violence of a very large scale by the general public becomes extremely important for these persons.