Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) chairman Sajad Lone on Monday responded strongly to a senior journalist’s remarks questioning his inaction on the Public Safety Act (PSA) during his tenure as a minister in the former Jammu and Kashmir government.
Replying to the journalist’s post on X, Lone said that while he acknowledges his limited responsibility, it is unfair to blame him for a law he neither introduced nor had the authority to repeal.
“First, I admit I have always admired you as a journalist. Even back when you were on TV, you stood out. So, let’s not bring out the knives,” Lone said in a conciliatory tone before responding to the criticism.
He pointed out that during his two-and-a-half-year tenure as a minister, his political influence was limited. “I will take my share of blame, if any, for being a minister for 2.5 years. I had only one more MLA. That was too little to change a law as horrendous as the PSA,” Lone said.In a detailed post, Lone called for an objective discussion on the origins and misuse of the Public Safety Act, emphasizing that those who introduced and extensively applied the law should be held accountable. “Let us objectively talk about who scripted and introduced the PSA, who used it with impunity, and who could have actually repealed it. How many were jailed under it? Trust me, that part is indefensible. So let my favourite journalist not defend the indefensible,” he wrote.The JKPC chief also compared the police verification certificate process to the PSA, describing both as significant issues affecting the lives of ordinary people in Jammu and Kashmir.Lone concluded his post by urging Chaturvedi to use her wide reach to highlight these concerns. “I really hope that, given your vast reach across different platforms, you will espouse these causes,” he said.Earlier, the senior journalist had responded to Lone’s post, questioning his inaction during his tenure as a BJP-supported minister, even as she now raised strong criticism of the PSA.
