Arrest of separatists a tried, tested and failed model: Sajjad Lone

Srinagar, Feb 23: Cautioning government over arrest of separatist and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leaders during overnight raids in the Kashmir valley, former minister and Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajjad Gani Lone said it is a tried, tested and failed model.He said large scale arrests took place in 1990, when militancy erupted in the Kashmir valley, and leaders were ferried to Jodhpur and many jails across the country but things worsened. It will not work and things will worsen, he cautioned.

Taking to micro blogging site Twitter, Mr Sajjad, who was a minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government from BJP quota, taking to micro blogging site twitter, said, “Gov seems to be on an arrest spree. Just a word of caution. Large scale arrests took place in 1990. Leaders were ferried to Jodhpur and many jails across the country. Things worsened. This is a tried tested and failed model. Please desist from it. It won’t work.Things will worsen”.

Reacting to withdrawal and downgrading of security of separatist and mainstream leaders, he said, “Government needs to review their decision on reducing security. However the space to reduce security is that provided to ex CMs. SSG is an elitist white elephant and needs to go. It has no place in today’s world”.