After Rahul, Priyanka demands Soz's release

New Delhi, Aug 6: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday demanded immediate release of senior party leader Saifuddin Soz, who continues to be under house arrest.

Ms Vadra, accusing the government of getting down to dictatorship in Jammu and Kashmir, said that democracy is being muzzled in the valley and the leaders, who have always played an important role in consolidating the democracy, are being ill-treated.

'The government must immediately release Saifuddin Soz, who has been kept under house arrest. Mr Soz has played an important role in strengthening the Indian democratic processes and practices and by treating him like a prisoner, the government is crushing democracy,'

'It is for the past one year that this dictatorship is continuing in the valley, and I want to remind the government that India is a democratic republic,' she said.

Last week Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also demanded the release of the grand old party's leader, saying that democracy is being muzzled in Jammu and Kashmir and leaders have been kept under house arrest.

However, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had filed an affidavit in the High Court, stating that Mr Soz was neither detained, nor kept under house arrest.

Mr Soz reportedly said on Monday that not only continued he continued to remain under house arrest, but the gate of his house towards airport in Srinagar was also locked by the police.