You can imprison a person but not his ideas: Mehbooba on arrest of HC, JeI leaders

Questioning arrest of Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leaders and workers during night-long raids in the Kashmir valley, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said, ''You can imprison a person but not his ideas''.

Former Chief Minister Mufti said she failed to understand such an arbitrary move which could only precipitate matters in Jammu and Kashmir.

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, she said, ''In the past 24 hours, Hurriyat leaders & workers of Jamaat organisation have been arrested. Fail to understand such an arbitrary move which will only precipitate matters in J&K. Under what legal grounds are their arrests justified? You can imprison a person but not his ideas.''

Besides separatist leader Mohammad Yasin Malik, security forces during night-long raids arrested dozens of HC and JeI leaders in the valley.