Online campaign launched to repeal Public Safety Act in J&K

An online campaign has been started to press Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government to stop detaining people under the Public Safety Act and repeal the law.

The online campaign "Global Petitions" started on Facebook urges netizens to support the campaign to appeal the chief minister to "pick up his pen and stop police abuse!"

"The people of Jammu and Kashmir call on you (Omar) to take immediate steps to stop police abuse by addressing the persistent practice of administrative detentions in Jammu & Kashmir under the Public Safety Act (PSA)," the petition reads.

Under the PSA, it said, people are held without charge or trial, for months and sometimes years. "This has not changed despite the amendments in 2012".

The petition reads that this situation cannot continue.

The campaign calls on Omar to issue an administrative order directing that authorities must stop the practice of "revolving door detentions", and not use the PSA to repeatedly detain an individual on similar grounds.

"The PSA detention records maintained by the J&K ministry of home affairs must be publicly accessible, especially to spouses and close family members and legal representatives assigned and agreed by detained persons," it said.

"Beyond this, we call on you to use your powers to ensure that no one is detained under the PSA until it is repealed," it added.