"Abuse Of Sedition, Anti-Terror Laws": Ex-Judges, Bureaucrats On Jammu And Kashmir
NDTV
The scathing report is also critical of the delimitation recommended by the Justice Desai commission and the "hype" around the film The Kashmir Files.
The situation for civilians in Jammu and Kashmir has taken a "new turn for the worse" under the Lieutenant Governor's rule with activists and journalists targeted with sedition and anti-terror laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Public Safety Act being misused to target in the union territory, a report by judges, ex-bureaucrats has said.
The scathing report chaired by Justice AP Shah (former chief justice of the Delhi high court) is also critical of the delimitation recommended by the Justice (retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai commission and the "hype" around the film The Kashmir Files, which it said rendered panches (village heads) and Pandits more vulnerable in the Valley.
''After three years of lieutenant governor's rule, civilian security has taken a new turn for the worse. The abuse of sedition and anti-terror laws such as the UAPA and PSA against activists and journalists continues," the report said.
The annual report - 'Three Years as a Union Territory: Human Rights in J&K' - was shared by the forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, an independent body co-chaired by former Delhi high court Chief Justice A P Shah and former union Home Secretary Gopal Pillai. The forum has retired Supreme Court Justices Ruma Pal and Madan Lokur, former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Lieutenant General HS Panag (retd.) among its members and covers the period from August 2021 to July 2022.