Bail a matter of right; welcome Kejriwal’s release: PDP chief Mufti

Srinagar, May 10 (PTI) Bail is a right, but it is very strange that it takes so much time to get it even when the offence is not proven, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said on Friday as she welcomed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail.

“This is very strange. Bail is a right. Unless you prove someone guilty, his place is not jail till that time and bail is his right. I am happy that Kejriwal finally got interim bail,” Mufti told reporters in Ganderbal, where she held a roadshow in support of party candidate Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra who is contesting from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said there is “anarchy” in the country and anyone can be jailed.

“What can we say? Today, there is anarchy. Anyone can be put in jail and it takes so much time to get bail,” she said.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted Kejriwal interim bail in a money laundering case. Though he got the relief at the peak of the election season, Kejriwal is barred from visiting his office or the Delhi secretariat and signing official files unless absolutely necessary for obtaining the lieutenant governor’s approval.
Asked about a notice by the Election Commission authorities to Parra on his remarks about Parliament elections being a referendum, the PDP president alleged the BJP does worse and urged the EC to take action against the party.

“I think the EC should take note of what the BJP leaders say. They make communal statements, they make such statements which affect the atmosphere in the country, they create Hindu-Muslim tension. They say Muslims will snatch your ‘mangalsutras’ and Muslims are intruders.
“The BJP makes such wrong statements, but the EC does not take notice of those. However, if someone else makes even an ordinary statement, they take notice of that. I am hopeful that Parra will respond to it appropriately,” she said.

She said her party had fielded Parra, the president of the PDP’s youth wing, to become a representative of the youth of J-K.
“The way the youths of J-K are jailed on the basis of suspicion and are tortured, we have chosen a youth from among them. People will elect him and send him to the Parliament where he will advocate for the oppressed prisoners,” she added.

She said the PDP is fighting the elections alone and other parties have teamed up against it.
“Our party was broken and then all the parties stood together and PDP was alone. I am happy that people support the PDP. That is our strength,” Mufti said.