‘When will this madness end’: Rahul Gandhi reacts to alleged arrest of J&K Congress leaders

Our spokesperson in J&K Shri Ravinder Sharma was illegally arrested while conducting a press conference. And so was the PCC chief Shri Ghulam Ahmed Mir. We condemn this dictatorial move by the Modi Govt & demand that they be released immediately.#StopIllegalArrestsInKashmir pic.twitter.com/fOorQ45C7b

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 16, 2019

Sharma was about to address a press conference at the Shaheedi Chowk party headquarters when a police party appeared on the scene and asked him to accompany him as a senior officer wanted to talk to him. A police officer said Sharma was taken into preventive custody to maintain law and order, news agency PTI reported.

Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that this ‘unprovoked action’ against the party is another blow to the democracy and asked, “When will this madness end?”.

I strongly condemn the arrest of our J&K PCC Chief, Shri Ghulam Ahmed Mir & spokesperson, Shri Ravinder Sharma in Jammu today. With this unprovoked action against a national political party, the Govt has delivered democracy another body blow. When will this madness end? https://t.co/1z3e7qHCDE

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 16, 2019

“I strongly condemn the arrest of our J&K PCC Chief, Shri Ghulam Ahmed Mir & spokesperson, Shri Ravinder Sharma in Jammu today. With this unprovoked action against a national political party, the Govt has delivered democracy another body blow. When will this madness end?” Gandhi said in a tweet.

The party also alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government at the centre “doesn’t care for civil liberties and democratic processes.”

Meanwhile, earlier today, during a press conference in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam announced that the restrictions imposed in the Valley within the last fortnight will be lifted soon, in a phased manner. The restrictions were imposed on August 5, after the abrogation of the special status given to J-K and the bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.

(Inputs from PTI)