'High time Mehbooba Mufti is released from detention': Rahul Gandhi urges Centre

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday called for the release of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti who has been under detention for almost a year under the Public Safety Act (PSA). 

Gandhi said that it is particularly 'damaging' to democracy when the central government 'illegally' detain political leaders.

"India's democracy is damaged when GOI illegally detains political leaders. It's high time Mehbooba Mufti is released," the Congress leader tweeted.

On Friday, Mufti`s detention under PSA was extended by three months.

Mufti and many other leaders of Kashmir, including Farooq Abdullah, were put in detention following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that accorded special status to the erstwhile state.

Earlier, the former J-K CM`s detention was extended on May 5 for three months.

In April, Mufti was shifted from a make-shift jail to her residence based on a government order.

The order stated that she was being shifted from a subsidiary jail at Maulana Azad Road to "Fairview Gupkar Road" which is her official residence.

Her official residence was accorded the status of subsidiary jail before shifting her, the order said. 

Mufti, 60, was initially put under preventive custody on August 5 last year. She was later booked under the stringent PSA on February 6.