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Friday, June 10, 2011

Illegal detentions in Kashmir unheard in Nazi Germany: Ram Jethmalani

Srinagar, 10 June :  Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and eminent Supreme Court lawyer, Ram Jethmalani, Monday hauled up the state government for detaining people without any charge or trial for years, saying the practice was 'unheard of even in Nazi Germany'.

Addressing a press conference here, Jethmalani, who is leading a four-member panel of Kashmir Committee currently on a visit here, said he was “shocked” to know that people in Kashmir were languishing in jails “without any trial or charge for years.”

Referring to  incarnated Hurriyat Conference (G) leader, ‘General’ Moosa , Jethmalani said it was “disgraceful” that a man could be detained for 18 years without trial.

“It was shocking to hear from his family that Moosa was being detained for the last 18 years without any trial. I mean this is something we haven’t heard of even in Nazi Germany,” Jethmalani said.

He said it was distressing that under a democratically elected government, human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests of “innocent people”, continued unabated .

Jethmalani warned that things could take an ugly turn if the state government continued to  “mishandle” the situation.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah must personally go through the cases of those detained under the Public safety Act (PSA), Jethamalani said.

“This lawlessness must end, innocent people must be freed, only then will the anger of  people subside,” he said, “It will also help create an atmosphere for a solution of Kashmir issue.”