A socio-political activist from Kashmir, Waqar H. Bhatti, has been released on interim bail after spending 14 days in jail arrested over a complaint filed by a BJP leader against him for criticising her.

Bhatti was arrested on September 01 after Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, a national executive member of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, registered a complaint against him.

Andrabi accused Bhatti of hurting her public reputation and inciting people on religious grounds. In her application to Srinagar Police, Andrabi called Bhatti ‘a known anti-India so-called activist’.

“While reacting to a decision of J&K Waqaf Board regarding engaging degree holding Qualified Imams, Khateebs and Muazzins for Waqaf Managed Shrines and Mosques (which has been hailed by majority the peace-loving people of J&K) He has uploaded a very derogatory video on social media in which he has personally attacked me on religious grounds and he has presented me as, a villain working against Islam.”

“His massages are venomous and it is hurting my public repute to the immeasurable level and at the same time he is inciting people on religious grounds,” it reads.

However, Bhatti was released after a judicial court in Srinagar granted him interim bail on September 14. He is booked under section 153 A, 500,506 of the Indian Penal Code.

Syed Shabina, an activist, who is also a provisional Secretary Kashmir of Ghulam Nabi Azad-led DPAP party, said, “After the abrogation of Art 370 the voice of Kashmiris is silenced, those who are selected to power associated to LG administration have been equally responsible to shunt the voices concerning public issues and arbitrary rules.”

“In any part of the country if journalists are treated like animals and social activists like separatists would no longer exist a dominant democracy in the world,” she said. Adding, “This is what is going on in Kashmir post Article 370.”

Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party while reacting to Bhatti’s arrest alleged on X (formerly Twitter) that “Too much democracy in Naya Kashmir!

This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here