Man who ‘convinced’ people to vote booked under PSA

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 25

One of the main grounds of detention under the Public Safety Act against senior High Court lawyer and former Bar president Nazir Ahmad Ronga is that during poll boycotts organised by the separatists during various elections he was instrumental in convincing electorate to come out and vote.

Soon after the abrogation of the Article 370 and downgrading of J&K into two Union Territories, Ronga, 55, who is also the close aide and legal adviser of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was taken into custody by the Chrar-e-Sharief police station on August 9 and subsequently booked under the Public Safety Act on the orders of District Magistrate, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary on August 17.

Though initially he was lodged at Central Jail, Srinagar, but later he was shifted outside J&K to a jail in Uttar Pradesh.

“You are very vocal against abolishing of Article 370 and 35(A) of the Constitution of India and also against bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state. You have led many protest marches in general and created problems in public order within Srinagar district, besides instigated youth in general and party workers and youth belonging to your community in particular,” reads the grounds of detention signed by the magistrate concerned while passing PSA detention orders against Ronga.

“Your capacity can be gauged from this fact that you were able to convince your electorate to come out and vote in huge numbers during the poll boycotts,” the grounds further read, adding that Ronga got influenced by the ideology of separatists, especially by Molvi Umer Farooq, and he (Molvi Umer) motivated him to join the separatist camp.

While drawing from this point, in the dossier prepared by the SSP, Srinagar, which formed the part of the PSA order, the police authority concerned had requested the DM, Srinagar, to pass a warrant of detention against Ronga under the provisions of the PSA in order to stop him from indulging in activities prejudicial to maintenance of public order.

“The subject by way of (enjoying) influence in his community can get large number of protest(s) against the decision (abrogation of 370 &35A) taken by the Government of India,” the grounds read.

Bar president also under detention

• Besides  former Bar president Nazir Ahmad Ronga, the authorities have also booked current Bar president Mian Qayoom under the PSA, who has been shifted to the Agra jail.
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• “In view of various decisions taken by the the Union Government on August 5, there is every likelihood/apprehension that the subject will instigate general public to resort to violence, which would disturb pubic peace and tranquillity and create circumstances that would disturb maintenance of public order,” read the grounds of detention considered by the DM, Srinagar, while passing the PSA order against Qayoom on August 7.

Ronga close aide of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz

Ronga, 55, who is also the close aide and legal adviser of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was taken into custody by the Chrar-e-Sharief police station on August 9 and subsequently booked under the Public Safety Act on the orders of District Magistrate, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary on August 17.