Tensions in Indian-administered Kashmir remain high since the government stripped the region of its semi-autonomous status in August and placed it under lockdown. Tens of thousands of troops were sent to the region, internet and phones were cut, and a curfew imposed…
When asked about Mehbooba Mufti, one of three detained chief ministers, Bhatia said Mufti’s arrest was due to a “highly inflammatory” statement she made that incited violence.
He said detentions like her’s are legal and are “for the greater good of the country and the state”.
Bhatia also hailed a Supreme Court ruling allowing the building of a Hindu temple on a site claimed by both Hindus and Muslims in the city of Ayodhya.
At the heart of the bitter dispute is the 16th-century Babri Mosque, which was torn down by Hindu mobs in 1992, triggering riots that killed nearly 2,000 people.
Hardliners among India’s Hindu majority believe that Lord Ram, the warrior god, was born at the site where the Babri Mosque existed.
Bhatia, who is also a senior advocate for the Supreme Court of India, said the verdict does “complete justice to all sides”.
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