PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said while criminals and rapists are released and felicitated, political prisoners or those against whom there are no solid cases are not released on bail even on health grounds.

Her remarks came after separatist leader Altaf Shah, the son-in-law of late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, died of cancer at the AIIMS early Tuesday, days after he was taken to the hospital from the Tihar Jail on the orders of the Delhi High Court.

"This is not just about Altaf Shah whose family is waiting for his dead body since morning at AIIMS. Eighty-year-old Stan Swamy did not get bail and died in jail. There are others like Siddique Kappan, activists, political prisoners, who are languishing in jails and are not well, especially people from J-K and separatists," Mehbooba said.

"Under this government, criminals, rapists, are not only released from jail, but they are welcomed and felicitated,” she said.

"But political prisoners or those against whom there are no solid cases are not given bail even on health grounds so that people like Altaf Shah who was critical could spend last moments with his family," the PDP chief said.

She said the government keeps on claiming that the situation in J-K has improved. "If the situation would have improved, there would not have been such human rights violations".

"Thousands of our youths are in jails, religious scholars are raided and they are jailed. Today, (NIA) raid was conducted at Rehmatullah sahib (religious scholar in Bandipora), because some days back he had given a statement on religious interference by them," Mehbooba said.

Referring to J-K administration's decision authorising departmental stores to sell beer and other ready to drink (RTD) beverages in urban areas, she said it has been done just to hurt the sentiments of the Muslims in J-K.

"Yesterday, they issued an order that our stores can openly sell alcohol now, when it is prohibited in Bihar and Gujarat, which they say is a model state. This is just to hurt the sentiments of the Muslims here. The consequences of their oppression will not be right," Mehbooba said.?

(With PTI inputs)
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