NC attacks Mufti Sayeed over political prisoners

 Opposition National Conference on Tuesday hit out at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on what it said his contradictory claims over the number of political prisoners in the state.

"Sayeed should explain then on what basis did PDP launch a false propaganda during elections (last year) claiming hundreds and hundreds of political prisoners were languishing in jails. "Either (PDP president) Mehbooba Mufti and the entire top brass of PDP or Sayeed is lying today when he says there are only less than a dozen political prisoners in Jail," NC spokesman Junaid Mattu said in a statement here.

The chief minister on Monday said there were less than a dozen political prisoners in different jails and blamed the media for creating an impression that there were many more such prisoners. Mattu said Sayeed not only re-arrested hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Masarat Alam, who was released from jail after the present government took over, but also slapped a fresh Public Safety Act (PSA) on him.

"Since the day he (Sayeed) has taken over, he has not only re-arrested the only political prisoner who was released through a process initiated during Governor's rule, but also slapped a fresh PSA against him, sending him packing to Kot Bhalwal Jail - throwing his (Sayeed's) 'battle of ideas' farce into the dustbin," the NC spokesman said. He demanded the Chief Minister's apology.