A massive political debate erupted among leaders of Kashmir-centric parties after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) pleaded for the death penalty to the chairman of the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik.
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari on Saturday said deterrent measures should be taken against those who are trying to threaten national security.
"NIA's plea demanding the death penalty for Yasin Malik highlights the urgency to address militant funding in Jammu and Kashmir. We must ensure justice prevails and deterrent measures should be taken against those who are trying to threaten our nation's security," Bukhari said.
Wasting no time in attacking Altaf Bukhari for defending the plea of the NIA, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti dubbed Bukhari as a "political Ikhwan". She hailed convicted jailed JKLF chairman Yasin Malik as a "political prisoner".
In a democracy like India where even the assassins of a PM were pardoned, the case of a political prisoner like Yasin Malik must be reviewed & reconsidered. The new political ikhwan gleefully supporting his hanging are a grave threat to our collective rights. pic.twitter.com/dKD7GFe5kz
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 27, 2023
"In a democracy like India where even the assassins of a Prime Minister were pardoned, the case of a political prisoner like Yasin Malik must be reviewed and reconsidered. The new political Ikhwan gleefully supporting his hanging are a grave threat to our collective rights", Mehbooba tweeted while tagging the statement of Altaf Bukhari.
NIA's plea on Yasin Malik is dangerous: Sajad Lone
Joining the debate, Peoples' Conference chairman Sajad Lone observed that NIA's plea on Yasin Malik was dangerous.
"It is a humble plea. Let you not be misled by fair-weather Kashmir experts. Please - every situation has a short term and a long term. Let the short-term enforced calm not blind you to the possible long-term turbulence", he tweeted.
"And May I very humbly ask what about those who created Yasin? What about those who rigged elections held under the Indian constitution and jailed, political workers, tortured them, and tortured their families?", he asked, adding, "And didn't rest until they ensured that they push them to the wall — to the extent where they pick up arms. I don't condone taking up arms. But can't we condemn those who forced arms onto a young person?"
"Are those rigged 1987 elections and in the process created hundreds and thousands of Yasin immune to prosecution? Are those who filled graveyards post-1987 outside the ambit of the law? Is it always the poor man's son who has to face the law, who has to face the gallows", he further asked.
NIA seeks death penalty for Yasin Malik
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday approached the Delhi High Court seeking the death penalty for the Kashmiri separatist leader, who was awarded a life term by a trial court here in a terror funding case a year ago, asserting not giving capital punishment to such a "dreaded terrorist" will result in the miscarriage of justice.
The plea by the NIA has been listed for hearing on May 29 before a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh.
