Doda, 23 January: In a shocking turn of events, Doda-based social activist Asif Iqbal Butt was detained for 12 hours by the SOG J&K Police, starting from midnight on January 23. The incident occurred shortly after Asif met with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.
Asif was reportedly taken from his room near Bathindi area of Jammu for questioning without any explanation given. According to journalist Raja Shakeel of The Chenab Times, who was present at the time of the arrest, the police party visited Asif’s room suddenly and took him away for questioning.
Asif stated that he was questioned about his previous visits to various areas of Jammu, including a trip to the Suchetgarh border area as a tourist with friends. However, he was not given any logical reasoning for his detention.
Asif Iqbal, Raja Shakeel, their friends, and two MLAs were with them during the Suchetgarh border visit, as per a video posted by Raja Shakeel on Instagram.
Butt, who was released on the same day after 12 hours of detention, took to his twitter to express his shock and dismay over the incident, he said, “Was detained post meeting Rahul Gandhi for more than 12 Hours. Thirty seconds video costed me 12 hours detentions.”
The statement made by Butt has raised serious concerns and also sparked allegations of harassment and suppression of dissent by the authorities.
As per the friends and well-wishers of Asif, the detention seems to be a direct result of his meeting with the Congress leader. They have expressed concern over the increasing curtailment of civil liberties in the region and have demanded an explanation for the arbitrary detention of Butt.
“The incident has brought to light the increasing use of technology by authorities to monitor and control the actions of citizens. The use of surveillance and arbitrary detention without any logical reasoning is a violation of basic human rights and goes against the principles of democracy,” Raja Shakeel wrote in a facebook post.
“The authorities must provide a detailed explanation for the detention of Asif Iqbal Butt and ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have a right to express their views and opinions without fear of harassment or repression,” he added.
Despite of asking for details, the officials have not provided any details for sudden detention of Asif Iqbal Butt to The Chenab Times correspondent.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
